Create Your Own Millennium Time Capsule

Brenda Reed is a public services librarian in the Education Library at
Queen’s University.

Although designed to be used as a scrapbook by its owner, this durable
and visually appealing book has a place in classrooms and libraries as a
resource for time-capsule ideas. A millennium time capsule is a good
idea for a project because, the authors write, “twenty or more years
from now ... you’ll get to see what was important to you when you were
a kid ‘way back when.’”

The introductory pages offer tips about how to ensure that a time
capsule and the items inside it will last for 20 or more years. Here
capsule compilers are provided with practical advice about plastics,
photographs, and electronic data containers such as videos and CDs.
Several possibilities are suggested for the time capsule container; for
those who want to bury their time-capsule, rather more elaborate
instructions are offered. Young readers are next presented with a range
of ideas about what to include in the capsule. The approach here is
thematic, with topics including media, money, sports, music,
environmental concerns, computers (especially computer games), fashion,
greetings and communication, transportation, and the Internet. The lists
of artifact ideas featured in the sidebars could be used starters for
brainstorming sessions on what to put in the capsule.

This attractive and practical book is recommended for elementary
schools and public libraries.