It appears to be succeeding - we do hear from researchers who have come across the finding aids and who can then request copies of manuscripts or plan visits more efficiently. I'm not sure how to reply to this question. I hope that just the simple fact that these materials are available in an electronic format might, for some, make these historical documents come alive. History can seem to be far removed from our lives but reading the actual words of ordinary people can be extraordinarily moving. The attempt to reach K-12 students is one reason that I included quite a few letters written by junior and senior high students.
Primary sources can transform our feeling of history.
Again I'm not sure how to reply to this. I certainly went into the project with little thought of this. In the narrative of history it is so easy to lose the individual's voice. I hope that in some small way, the voices of Seattle's Japanese Americans can still be heard through their letters and photos.