Santa Cruz libraries host ‘Snapshot Stories’ event to share memories, photos of Black communities
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) The Santa Cruz Public Libraries are hosting a photo scanning event to share memories and photos of Black communities in honor of Juneteenth.
The "Snapshot Stories" event will be held on June 19 from 1 to 4 p.m., and community members can bring historical photos from their family archives- including photos of people, neighborhoods and landmarks- to be scanned and return with a USB flash drive containing an electric copy of the photos.
The images scanned will be added to the Santa Cruz Public Libraries' Local History Photo Collection, an online database that the libraries say is the most popular feature on the website. It currently contains more than 1,500 pictures dating back as far as the 1860s. The photos also include details about the date, location, occasion and people pictured. The libraries said the collections are used by historians and genealogists around the world.
"SCPL strives to offer inclusive collections that reflect the diversity of our community and history. The stories of historically marginalized communities are underrepresented in our digital local history collections. Adding your photos and experiences will create a more complete picture of Santa Cruz County's diverse history. This ongoing project will continue after Juneteenth through scanning appointments made with library staff and submissions of digital photos," the Santa Cruz Public Libraries wrote in a statement.
Juneteenth- an abbreviation of June 19th- marks the day that Union Army Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, TX in 1865 to tell slaves about their emancipation.
