Commission approves up to $2,000 to send archival poetry book to national 250th time capsule

The South Dakota State Historical Society Commission approved spending up to $2,000 to produce an archival, scaled version of a poetry book intended for the national 250th-anniversary time capsule.

"I'm Deidra Birzer, and I'm the director of the South Dakota Historical Society Press," Deidra Birzer said as she and designer Angela Corbeau Geier described a plan to reformat a book titled South Dakota Lines so it will fit inside the 6-by-5-by-2-inch archival container specified for the capsule. Birzer said the press and local artisans would use archival paper, nonpigmented archival inks, blind embossing on heavy stock and hand-sewn binding to maximize longevity.

Angela Corbeau Geier, the project designer, described how the original, vertically oriented work will be adapted into a square format that opens "like a calendar," and she said the team is researching archival threads and printing materials. "That card on the bottom is giving you an example," Geier said while showing embossed details of the proposed cover and interior treatment.

The commission was told the project will meet the national standards the capsule team requires: photographic documentation must be submitted to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by March 15, and the physical item must be received by the capsule organizers by April 30 so it can be installed in early July.

"Our estimate for this project is $2,000, and, it'll fit in the box, and it'll be glorious," Birzer said. The chair noted the funds would come from the commission's current operating budget, which she said "rests at around $5,000 something," and asked for a motion. After a member moved the funding and another member seconded, the commission approved the expenditure by voice vote.

The chair also said the commission will coordinate a governor's letter and is working with the secretary (Young) to explore a parallel tribal letter so the state's capsule contribution could include multiple perspectives. The poem's general-release date remains March 10, when the full edition will be available to the public through the press's website and commercial retailers.

Next steps: the press will deliver photographs to the national capsule team by the March 15 deadline, finalize archival production details, and arrange shipment of the completed item by April 30. The commission indicated staff will follow up on the governor and tribal coordination.