Press Releases

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Reading Room opens doors to Researchers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 9, 2007

Contact: Nancy Coggins, APR
405.235.3313 or 405.760.9053
nc@oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Reading Room opens doors to Researchers

OKLAHOMA CITY – Each item – artifacts, trial documents, photos, transcripts and more - among the almost one million in the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Archives is a chance to learn for the researchers, students, authors and documentarians who utilize the Memorial’s archives on an annual basis.

The Memorial’s archives preserve and protect a valuable piece of our nation’s history. Now, new resources are available to researchers wishing to explore the lessons of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Operating as a closed stack, the Memorial Archives now allow researchers to use the Archives’ collections by appointment in the new Reading Room. This Reading Room offers researchers access to primary and secondary sources relating to the Oklahoma City bombing that are not available elsewhere. FBI evidentiary materials, building records, city-wide damage studies, photos from the City of Oklahoma City and the FBI, pieces of the rental truck and more are available for study.

“As the official repository for all things dealing with the Oklahoma City bombing, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Archives serves as an incredible source of primary material for researchers in many fields of study,” said Helen Stiefmiller, Collections Manager at the Memorial & Museum. “Each year, researchers, scholars and others from across the nation and around the world utilize some of the almost one million items in the Memorial archives to draw on the lessons learned on this site.”

In fact, the Oklahoma City Fire Department’s Document Management Team’s Final Report, which is housed in the Memorial’s archives and is a compilation of lessons learned, is now used by national agencies in formulating emergency response protocol for both natural and man-made disasters.

The Memorial Archives collects and preserves images, audio recordings, video recordings, documents, books, newspapers, articles, textiles, art and artifacts. Among these invaluable items are over 30,000 artifacts in the permanent collection, over 300,000 photographs, 2000 video recordings and 68,000 items in the Fence Collection.
A recording studio was also constructed to capture oral histories, aid in updating exhibit videos and as a place to interview dignitaries and others. The collection already includes more than 500 oral histories from survivors, rescue workers and family members of the victims.

Another new addition to the archives makes it possible for general public to see the inner workings of what it takes to preserve the Memorial’s collection. A new glass wall in the archives area makes it possible for school and adult groups to schedule a behind the scenes look into the Memorial Archives, the largest repository in the world for items pertaining to a specific event. The wall allows access for groups to tour the area without disturbing the almost one million primary documents, photos, artifacts and other items in the collection. Reader rails explain what the Memorial collects and why, describe samples from the collection, and help groups better understand how items are preserved and displayed in the Memorial Museum.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor “those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever” by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected.

The Outdoor Symbolic Memorial is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is free of charge. The Memorial Museum is open Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., and Sunday, 1-6p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+) and $6 for students (5-college with valid ID). Children under 5 are admitted free. Group rates and programs are available. Special exhibits are included in the cost of admission. Ticket sales end at 5 p.m. daily. Thanks to the generosity of SpiritBank, all Oklahomans receive FREE admission to the Memorial Museum during the month of November 2007 with valid Oklahoma state-issued identification. The Museum is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

For more information on the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, call (888) 542-HOPE or visit www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org.

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