Part-Time Policy Wonk

SLA Action Alert:

The National Archives and Records Administration, was created within the National Archives in 1934, given its own staff in 1951, authorized to make grants in 1964, and reorganized in 1975 as the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Its 15 members represent the three branches of the federal government and six professional associations of archivists, historians, documentary editors, and records officers. Budget talks for 2008 are starting the week of the 18th of June. Please contact your Congressional representatives now. The NHPRC grants program is authorized at $10 million through FY 2009. This valuable program received its fully authorized $10 million back in FY 2004. In FY 2007, Congress appropriated $5.5 million for NHPRC grants and $2 million for administrative costs, despite the Administration’s continued efforts to eliminate the program. If Congress allows the NHPRC grants to be dropped from the budget it would have a detrimental effect, causing funding from other sources to be withdrawn or reduced. This would be devastating to such projects as development of new archival programs, promotion of the preservation and use of historical records, coordination in addressing major archival issues, editing and publication of the papers of nationally significant individuals and institutions; and a series of other activities relating to documenting America's heritage.