Local primary sources—digitized and freely accessible—give teachers something invaluable: the ability to ground national history in the local context. They can show students how global movements took shape in their own backyards. They can connect textbook events to familiar street names, neighborhood landmarks, and even family names. They can make history personal, relevant, and real.

But they can’t do that if the records are inaccessible.

When schools don’t have access to digitized historical content — or when that content lives behind paywalls — teachers are left stranded with what is available or provided to them. That robs students of the chance to see themselves in the story. It disconnects them from their own community’s role in shaping the country. And it reinforces the message that only certain histories are worth preserving.

Access Enables Education

Free, open digital access changes that.

It gives every teacher, regardless of district budget or political climate, the ability to integrate primary sources into their lessons. It lets students examine original documents, read newspaper articles from the time, analyze photographs, and ask their own questions. It invites inquiry, fosters critical thinking, and builds a stronger understanding of how history connects to the present.

And it creates a powerful partnership: archives supporting classrooms, and classrooms breathing life into archives.

That partnership can take many forms. Librarians and curators collaborate with teachers to build lesson plans. Historical societies can co-host workshops for educators. Curated digital collections can be aligned to state standards. Universities can share digitized material with K–12 teachers. Even simple tools—like searchable databases, captioned images, and printable primary sources—can transform the way history is taught.

But it’s not just about tools. It’s about trust.

When educators know that they have reliable partners in their local archives, libraries, and cultural institutions, they feel supported. They feel empowered to introduce nuance, complexity, and honesty into their classrooms—even when doing so carries professional risk.

And that’s the kind of partnership this moment demands.

Because let’s be honest: students aren’t fooled by sanitized history. They know when something’s being left out. They see the gaps. They feel the erasure. Giving them access to the full story, through local archives and primary sources, does more than inform. It validates. It tells them their history matters. Their community matters. They matter.

If we want a future where truth still has a place in public education, we have to support the people trying to teach it. And that means giving them access, not just to materials, but to meaningful partnerships.

Like our museums and libraries, educators can’t do this alone. But together, we can ensure that students get more than slogans and soundbites. We can give them the tools to think critically, ask hard questions, and understand how we got here, so they can shape where we go next.