The U.S. Coast Guard Academy Library in New London has received a $1 million grant from the state to help preserve historic documents for future generations.
The library is part of the Connecticut Library System, and some of its artifacts date back to the 1790s when the Coast Guard was established by Alexander Hamilton.
Rear Admiral Michael Johnston, the Academy’s new superintendent, said the artifacts are more than just an important part of their history.
“From our core values and the letters from Hamilton, to the experiences that some of our graduates went through in both the Vietnam War and World War II and their private and personal notes,” Johnston said. “It really is just an inspiration, and what we do here is collect those stories and we use them to inspire the next generation.”
The grant will enable the library to modify an entire room to include special environmental conditions — from temperature controls to lighting and special racks — so the collection of around 6,000 artifacts can have optimal storage to stop them from deteriorating.
Gov. Ned Lamont, who visited the Academy on Thursday, said the grant was an important investment not only by the state but on a national level too.
“You can do it in digital form, you can look at it in a book. Being able to hold it and see it and what that means to the state, what that means to this country," Lamont said. “The fact you’re headquartered right here, right here is the academy, means an awful lot.”
“I’m really proud that Connecticut was able to help out in a modest way to make sure this treasured history stays in good form for the next 200 years,” he added.
