I hope you will consider contributing items to the AAF Collection. It is a great way to share historical and educational information about the Army Air Forces during World War II.
Contributing an item is fairly easy. The hardest part is creating an electronic, or digital, copy of your item. Whether it is a book, magazine, newspaper, document, postcard or photograph, you must be able to create an image of each page of the item. You can do this using a scanner, or a digital camera.
First, check that your item is not already in the collection. Click the View Items button and choose to List Items by Item Title. Or, if you know the air field, or the unit or class number, you can Browse the Collection for that information. If you find a similar item, but the class or unit number is different, be sure to check for other items in the same series. There will be a link to view the series if available.
Second, check for pending items in the collection. The item may have already been contributed, but it’s not yet available to view. Click the View Items button and choose Summarize by Pending Items. (Or, click here.)
If you find that your item is already in the collection, you may still wish to contribute it. If your copy is of better quality, or it is different in some way, then it may be worth your effort to submit it. For instance your copy might have signatures or interesting annotations not in the current copy.
Finally, you should be aware of some caveats. Basically, you won’t be paid for your contribution and it will be available free to anyone who visits the AAF Collection website. See Contribution Caveats for details.
Once you have the image files, upload them to the AAF Collection website. The curator will take your image files and create a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and post it on the website for everyone to view.
For help on scanning an item, see How-To: Scan Items.
For help on photographing an item, see How-To: Photograph Items.
To upload your image files, see How-To: Upload Items.
how do i make a money contibution?
@quido, if you would like to make a monetary donation to help with the cost of maintaining this website, there are PayPal buttons on the Home page, at the bottom of the page. (Click the “Home” button on the menu bar above.)
I have a good copy of the Third Addiversary Edition of the Rank n’ File, featuring the graduation class of 44H.
Can you use this publication, and if so, where can I mail it.
Thanks,
David Hillman
A Native Tularean.
Hi David,
There is already a copy of that edition in the collection (http://aafcollection.info/items/list.php?item=000056). Thanks for the offer to contribute it though.
Mike
Hello Mike. I just discovered your website here. What motivated you to create it? I recently went through boxes of my deceased father’s things and found a bunch of his AAC memorabilia. I have several items that I do not believe exist on your list: “A Camera Trip Through Army Air Forces Navigation School at Hondo, Texas”, “A Camera Trip Through Ellington Field”, “Polaris Vol 1 No 2″, “Together We Fly”, “Official Song of the United States Army Air Corps”(words and music by Capt. Robert Crawford…’Off we go, into the wild blue yonder…’), and “Your Life and Training as an Aviation Cadet in the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center”.
These items are in excellent condition. I have no way of scanning them to you. If you want them, I will mail them to you rather than throw them away or give them to some antique dealer who won’t care about them. Let me know an address to which to send them, or let me know if you don’t want them.
Thanks,
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
It sounds like you have some great items. I’m sure many people will be interested in seeing them. If you want to contribute, I will gladly scan and add them to the site for everyone to see. I will contact you directly with the details.
After I post them, I always donate items I acquire to a local veteran’s museum, which has an extensive library. So they will be around after we’re gone.
Hello Mike,
I have been a long time fan of your site. Lots of fantastic material here!! I am long past due in making a contribution. I have a very good copy of Target: Germany already in pdf format. I am not sure if uploading is the same. It’s a 30MB file. How can I get this to you?
Thanks!
Darin
Hi Darin,
Thanks! I will contact you directly with the user name and password in order to upload it using FTP.