[SOA] NHPRC Funding Zeroed Out for Fy 2008- Take Action now to save NHPRC

Tue Apr 24 10:01:39 EDT 2007

From: "Jenifer Burlis-Freilich" <jbfreilich at statearchivists.org>
To: <archival_leaders at aall.archivists.org>
Subject: [AALL] NHPRC Funding Zeroed Out for Fy 2008- Take Action now to 
save NHPRC
Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 18:03:42 -0500

NHPRC Funding Zeroed Out for FY 2008;
Take Action Now to Save NHPRC!

Dear Colleague:

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) -- the 
grant-making arm of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) 
-- is targeted in the President's proposed FY 2008 budget for zero funding 
for grants and zero funding for staff to administer the agency and its 
programs.  For FY 2008, our organizations and the National Coalition for 
History support full funding for national grants at $10 million plus $2 
million for staffing and administration.

The newly created House and Senate Financial Services and General 
Government appropriations subcommittees have jurisdiction over the NARA 
appropriation, including NHPRC.  These subcommittees currently are drafting 
appropriations bills for the programs under their jurisdiction.  This 
spring is a critical time to make your voice heard on this appropriation.

ACTION NEEDED!  If you support restored funding for the NHPRC grants 
program, please contact your Congressional representatives now, especially 
if they are members of the House and Senate subcommittees on Financial 
Services and General Government:
<http://appropriations.house.gov/Subcommittees/sub_fsdc.shtml>http://appropriations.house.gov/Subcommittees/sub_fsdc.shtml
http://appropriations.senate.gov/financialservices.cfm

To contact your Members of Congress, go to the National History Coalition 
at <http://historycoalition.org/>http://historycoalition.org and click on 
"Humanities Advocacy Network."  The website allows you to send a 
pre-written electronic letter or to edit the letter to include your own 
story and express your own views.  You can also fax a letter to your Member 
of Congress or contact him/her through the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 
202-224-3121.  To find your representative's website, go to 
<http://www.house.gov/>http://www.house.gov; to find your senator's 
website, go to <http://www.senate.gov/>http://www.senate.gov.  For 
suggestions on writing letters, including details about the impact that 
NHPRC grants have had in specific states, visit the SaveArchives wiki at 
<http://savearchives.pbwiki.com/>http://savearchives.pbwiki.com.

FUNDING HISTORY:  The NHPRC grants program is authorized at $10 million 
through FY 2009. This small but effective program last received its fully 
authorized $10 million 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.  Unfortunately, cuts of this magnitude -- and the uncertainty 
created by the annual threat of extinction -- endanger the agency's 
programmatic integrity.

We believe that NHPRC needs at least $10 million in FY 2008 if the agency 
is to meet its congressional mandate to provide leadership in preserving 
our nation's documentary heritage and to make that heritage accessible 
through publication.  In addition, $2 million is required to maintain the 
expert staffing to administer this program.
Loss of funding for NHPRC's grants projects will have a domino effect, 
causing funding from other sources to be withdrawn or reduced.  NHPRC's 
grants are the linchpins for the funding structure of most projects; 
without them, the structure will collapse.

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION:  NHPRC, the grant-making affiliate of 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.

During the past 40+ years, the Commission has awarded $163 million to more 
than 4,200 state and local government archives, colleges and universities, 
and other institutions to preserve and provide access to important records 
that document American history.  As characterized by former Archivist of 
the United States John Carlin, NHPRC is "history's venture 
capitalist."  Through federal outright and matching grants, it successfully 
leverages private sector contributions to projects such as the publishing 
of papers associated with nationally significant individuals and 
institutions.

NHPRC currently is helping to fund dozens of papers projects, including 
those of founders Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Adams, and Madison; 
projects documenting the ratification of the Constitution and the First 
Federal Congress; the correspondence between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and 
Susan B. Anthony; the Papers of Eleanor Roosevelt; the Frederick Douglass 
Papers; and the Papers of General George C. Marshall.  It has funded 
hundreds of projects designed to preserve historical records of enduring 
value, as well as cooperative state, regional, and national projects that 
address common archival issues, such as the complex problem of preserving 
electronic historical records.

NHPRC works to accomplish its mandate by setting strategic priorities; 
using modest federal grants to stimulate state, local, institutional, and 
private contributions; and providing expert staff assistance to grantees to 
address these priorities. It is the only grant-making organization -- 
public or private -- whose mission is to provide national leadership in the 
effort to promote the preservation and accessibility of historical records 
and to publish the papers of significant figures and themes in American 
history.

If Congress allows the NHPRC to be zeroed out of the federal budget, this 
important program, which has played an essential federal leadership role 
and has an outstanding success record of using a small amount of federal 
funds to leverage other contributions, would come to an end.  This would be 
devastating to such projects as development of new archival programs; 
promotion of the preservation and use of historical records; regional and 
national coordination in addressing major archival issues; editing and 
publication of the papers of nationally significant individuals and 
institutions; and a wide range of other activities relating to America's 
documentary heritage.

For more information about the National Historical Publications and Records 
Commission, visit the agency's website 
at:  <http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/>http://www.archives.gov/nhprc/

We hope that we can count on your help in our cooperative effort to ensure 
funding for NHPRC.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please 
contact any of us at the email addresses or phone numbers below.
Elizabeth Adkins, President, Society of American Archivists (312-922-0140; 
<mailto:president at archivists.org>president at archivists.org)
Karl Niederer, President, Council of State Archivists (609-984-3299; 
<mailto:pres at statearchivists.org>pres at statearchivists.org)
Mary Beth Herkert, President, National Association of Government Archives & 
Records Administrators
(503-378-5196; <mailto:mary.e.herkert at state.or.us>mary.e.herkert at state..or.us)

______________
   Janet M. Carleton - <carleton at ohio.edu> - 740/597-2527
Digital Initiatives Coordinator / Women's Studies Bibliographer
      Alden 235A, Ohio University Libraries, Athens, Ohio
              <http://www.library.ohiou.edu/> 
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