BOISE — The Idaho State Historical Society wants to make sure Idahoans’ unique experiences during COVID-19 are recorded in the history books.

Any resident of the Gem State is encouraged to submit personal stories, thoughts and experiences to the historical society to be recorded in a digital collection project about the pandemic. HannaLore Hein, Idaho state historian, said taking down experiences of everyday people is essential.

“It’s our hope that providing a platform for citizens to share stories can in some way bring us all closer together during this difficult period,” Hein said in a press release. “From a purely historical standpoint, it’s our hope that these stories can provide historians, looking back 100 years from now, an authentic glimpse into this chapter of Idaho history, and to better understand the fears, loss, grief, resilience and spirit of community that is now defining the way in which we’re all living.”

The Historical Society has set up an online form to make it easy for story submissions. Idahoans can submit their narratives at tinyurl.com/ID-covid-history.

Last month, the Idaho State Historical Society closed public access to its facilities due to public health concerns with the spread of COVID-19. The temporary shutdown includes the Idaho State Museum, the Old Idaho Penitentiary and programming and events.