Oakland University conducting COVID-19 archive project, asking for submissions

FOX 2 - Archivists like to do this sort of thing they're not just standing around dusting off old material," said Dr. Dominque Daniel. "They like to actively collect materials for future generations."

So when Oakland University senior Jared Barnett heard the university's Archives Department was on a mission to collect items detailing a person's experience through the COVID-19 crisis he knew he had to make his voice heard.

Barnett submitted entry from a journal he composed for a class detailing how COVID-19 was impacting his life.

"I want to be as open as possible from when I woke up, to when I went to bed (with) what I experienced during the pandemic," he said.

Daniel is overseeing the project and is actively pushing for submissions from the community, both on and off-campus. 

"It takes an active effort to reach out to a community and ask them to donate those things before they disappear," Daniel said. 

As the collection process continues, the coordinator says there's no one item that makes the perfect submission piece. 

"That means text, diaries, journals, even recordings," she said. "We are looking for everything that can document someone's experience, especially from marginalized communities." 

One hundred years from now,, the university hopes what is being collected in real-time will stand the test of time. 

"I would really like people to appreciate the range of experiences that people have had," she said. 

That means the good and the bad, documenting history one item at a time.

Barnett hopes you will share your experience just like he did. 

"We all have to contribute to show this pandemic affected us," he said. "We all need a voice especially at a time like this." 

To learn how to contribute to this project go to  https://bit.ly/2GPpxv7