UA Special Collections: Preserving the Stories

So far, this year’s monsoon hasn’t produced as much rain as Tucsonans usually expect from the season. Emma Gibson speaks with a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Tucson about what may be keeping the rain away.

• The flash floods that accompany monsoon rain can create life-threatening situations on Tucson streets. Christopher Conover looks into the effectiveness of the “stupid motorist law”, designed to make drivers responsible for the cost when first-responders are called for rescue operations.

• And, what does Special Collections at the University of Arizona have to offer the Tucson community? Mark talks with director Verónica Reyes-Escudero about one example, the history of a Mexican-American family that played an active role in a turbulent period of history. Special Collections is holding Family & Community Archives Day on October 5th, 2019. It is a free event with talks and activities designed to encourage Tucsonans, especially those from underrepresented communities, to preserve their stories. In addition to receiving advice from experts, attendees can get up to 10 individual pieces of "flat surface materials" (i.e. letters, postcards, photos, flyers, diary pages, etc.) digitized for long term preservation. Partners and participating organizations include the UA Department of Spanish and Portuguese, UA Department of Mexican American Studies, Arizona Queer Archives, the Mexican American Museum, and the Dunbar Pavilion.