The Wrangell Museum is close to launching a new website that will provide access to an online catalog of the thousands of items in its collection, particularly items in storage and not on public display.
The new feature will be rolled out in the next month or so, according to Nolan Center Director Jeanie Arnold.
The new system — named CatalogIt — will replace the antiquated platform previously used, making it easier to search the artifacts and photos.
Much of the collection is made up of photographs, papers and other delicate items stored in drawers for their protection, so having a simple way of accessing them digitally without fear of damaging or skipping over them is important.
Once the website is up, anyone will be able to access CatalogIt to view the museum’s collection from anywhere.
Ronan Rooney, who has brought Wrangell’s history to the masses since 2020 with his podcast and blog “Wrangell History Unlocked,” praised the move to a new online catalog.
“It’s just such a landmark step forward for the museum to have this type of information,” he said. “I think it’s going to really open people’s minds to a lot of Wrangell history and Alaska history, too.”
