I forward the following message regarding proposed budget cuts for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), which supports many worthwhile documentary editions, and urge friends and supporters of the scholarly editing community to act by the 1 May deadline. Thanks. Sincerely, Frank Grizzard Papers of George Washington --- Begin Forwarded Message --- Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 12:22:13 -0400 From: Bruce Craig <[log in to unmask]> Subject: [NCCmailings] NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 7, #17, April 25, 2001 Sender: Scholarly Editing Forum <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Reply-To: [log in to unmask] Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 7, #17, April 25, 2001 by Bruce Craig <[log in to unmask]> of the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History ***************** 1. NHPRC Budget - Special Action Request 2. News Bits and Bytes: NCC Activities at OAH Convention 1. SPECIAL ACTION REQUEST: YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP IS NEEDED TO RAISE FUNDING LEVELS FOR THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PUBLICATIONS AND RECORDS COMMISSION The NCC has just learned that there is a MAY 1, 2001, deadline for House of Representatives "Members Requests" for funding various aspects of the federal budget. As has been previously brought to your attention (see NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 7, #15 April 11, 2001), a deep funding cut is proposed in the President's budget proposal for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The President's proposal is for a funding level of $4.436 million - dramatically down (31%) from the $6.436 million funding level in the current FY 2001 budget. We urge you to contact your Congressional representatives IMMEDIATELY and have them forward a "Members Request" to the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service and General Government urging Chairman Istook and members of that Committee to fund the grants program of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission at the $10 million level. ACTION NEEDED: *INDIVIDUALS: Letters, phone calls, faxes, and E-mails (least effective) to your own Representatives and Senators asking them to support the $10 million figure and to let the chair and ranking member of the subcommittee listed below know of this support. The appropriation is due to be considered early in May in the House so you need to act immediately! *ORGANIZATIONS: Communicate with the committee listed below stating your organization's total membership and purpose and supporting the $10 million figure. It's particularly important to focus on the myriad uses of NHPRC-funded products. BACKGROUND: The National Historical Publications Commission was created with 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 mandate is to assist efforts to preserve and make the documentary heritage of the United States widely accessible by using modest federal grants to stimulate state, local, institutional and private contributions. The federal funding leverages contributions to historical documentary editing projects (i.e. The Papers of founders Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison, the correspondence of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, the Papers of Eleanor Roosevelt, the Frederick Douglass Papers, the Papers of Gen. George C. Marshall, to name a few), to projects designed to preserve historical records of enduring value and to cooperative projects to address common archival issues, such as the complex problem of electronic historical records. The Commission has an excellent record of accomplishment and is seen as a model federal grants program. NHPRC has an FY'01 appropriation of $6.436 million, however, the Administration has recommended only $4.436 million for FY'02, which represents a 31% cut. The NHPRC's grants program is authorized at a $10 million ceiling for FY'02. The Administration's request would cut the NHPRC's grants funding almost back to its FY1980 level of $4 million!! This cut would be particularly damaging given the fact that the NHPRC's grants are addressing ever bigger and more expensive records issues, particularly in the electronic records research area. The proposed cut also threatens the NHPRC's well recognized ability to leverage monies and to act as the "venture capitalist" for the nation's documentary heritage. Documentary publications projects, which are already universally understaffed and underfunded, will suffer further cutbacks and their progress will be slowed, or halted altogether. State and regional activities in planning implementing archival programs will be seriously hampered and research on the pressing problem of electronic records will be curtailed, jeopardizing the preservation of important historical documentation. KEY POINTS TO RAISE IN RELATION TO THE NHPRC: * The National Historical Publications and Records Commission makes grants each year to institutions across the country to preserve historical records, publish historical papers, and make historical materials more accessible. NHPRC has an outstanding record of making grants to edit and publish historical documents, to develop archival programs, to promote the preservation and use of historical records, to promote regional and national coordination in addressing major archival issues, and to support a wide range of other activities relating to America's documentary heritage. While the National Archives concentrates on federal records, the NHPRC helps archivists, documentary editors, and historians who preserve and make available non-Federal records of exceptional historical significance. * The public benefits that come from the preservation and dissemination of documents significant to an understanding of the United States were most eloquently stated by J. Franklin Jameson, the founder of the National Archives and the NHPRC when he wrote in a November 30, 1927 memorandum: "The publication of documentary historical materials is a regular function of all civilized governments, and it is not likely to be omitted by any government in which there is any appreciation of how much historical study does and can do for the promotion of national patriotism." * Documentary history editions are used not only by scholars but by students and teachers at every educational level, as well as by documentary film makers and museum curators. The Internet has literally opened up a new world for the dissemination of the products of NHPRC funded projects. * NHPRC grants are a good investment for the country. They result in major matching funds from private sources which would not have been available otherwise. Federal funds ensure potential backers that the projects are of genuine significance and capably staffed and organized. Through this model cost-sharing program, in which the average non-Federal contribution is almost 50%, NHPRC has efficiently used federal leverage to preserve our documentary heritage. NHPRC supporters are urged to contact their Congressional representatives (the Capitol switchboard telephone number is 202. 224-3121) immediately, and urge them to send a "members request" to the Committee on Appropriations to support full-funding ($10 million) for the NHPRC. Furthermore, request that these funds not be taken out of the existing NARA program base. Communication with House members Ernest J. Istook, Frank Wolf, Anne Meagher Northup, John E. Sununu, John Peterson, Todd Tiahrt, John Sweeney, Don Sherwood, Steny H. Hoyer, Carrie Meek, David E. Price, Steven R. Rothman, and Peter J. Visclosky (all of whom sit on the House appropriation subcommittee of jurisdiction) would be particularly useful. Letters from historical and archival organizations are especially important right now and should be sent to the Appropriation subcommittee of jurisdiction: The Honorable Ernest J. Istook Chairman, Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives B-307 Rayburn House Office Building Washington D.C. 20515-6028 2. NEWS BITS AND BYTES: Item #1- The National Coordination Committee for the Promotion of History will hold its breakfast briefing during the meeting of the Organization of American Historians (OAH) in Los Angeles, California, on April 27 from 7:30 to 9:00 am. The NCC Board meeting will follow. Readers with an interest in the work of the NCC are invited to attend the breakfast portion. In addition, the NCC will host one of the OAH's experimental "chat-rooms" on Sunday April 29 from 9 to 11 am. The chat room will provide attendees with an opportunity to learn about the political process, ask questions about pending legislation, appropriations, and the work of the NCC. Consult the OAH program for additional details. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NCC invites you to redistribute the NCC Washington Updates. A complete backfile of these reports is maintained by H-Net at <http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~ncc>. To subscribe to the "NCC Washington Update," send an e-mail message to [log in to unmask] according to the following model: SUBSCRIBE H-NCC firstname lastname, institution. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * --- End Forwarded Message --- -- Frank E. Grizzard, Jr. Associate Editor Papers of George Washington University of Virginia [log in to unmask] http://www.virginia.edu/~feg3e http://www.virginia.edu/gwpapers To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html