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AP20:047

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2020
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

State Archives Invites Californians to Document Their COVID-19 Stories

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California State Archives has released a call for submissions to all Californians to document how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected their lives in a project titled: “California COVID-19 Archive.”

“Documenting our experience during this pandemic will be an important and valuable resource for future Californians,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said. “We encourage members of the public to share their stories with us through the California COVID-19 Archive and to participate in similar projects taking place across the state.”

Californians can share their experience by answering a few questions here about how their lives have been impacted by COVID-19. For more information, visit CaliforniaCOVID19archive.sos.ca.gov.

The State of California has taken proactive measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which is a global pandemic that has caused Californians to shelter-in-place since March 19, 2020. Government entities, hospitals, and countless others are working hard to keep their staff and the public safe while still providing critical services. During these challenging times, schools have closed and moved online, tens of thousands have lost their jobs, health care professionals are working around the clock, and statewide stay at home orders have been put in place to protect those who are most vulnerable.

The California State Archives has developed the California COVID-19 Archive project to document the stories and experiences of Californians during these challenging and uncertain times. The State Archives invites the public to share their story and experience here. Submissions will serve as an important contribution to this community memory project and will be a critical primary source so that future generations can better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Californians. Public submissions could become a part of the State Archives’ historical collections and may be featured in the online California COVID-19 Archive collection webpage.

For questions, please contact: cacovid19archive@sos.ca.gov.

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