Bad news for all you Archivists (well, Bush's budget is bad news for everyone except his war-buddies).

Fascists hate history, as Walter Benjamin has pointed out.


"To All Archival Association Leaders:

On Monday, February 7, President Bush released his FY2006 budget
recommendations which slash or eliminate more than 150 federal
programs. In that budget, the National Historical Publications and
Records Commission has been targeted to receive NO funding. This
will mean no funds for the grants program and no funds for staffing
to support NHPRC programs. In addition, the National Archives and
Records Administration will be challenged to meet demands in other
areas of importance. The relevant section for NHPRC specifically
states: 60;National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Grants.52;This program provides funding for grants that the
Commission makes, nationwide, to preserve and publish records that
document American history.


The governing boards of the Council of State Historical Records
Coordinators (COSHRC), the National Association of Government
Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA), and the Society of
American Archivists (SAA) met in Washington on February 5 to discuss
how we might collaborate on advocacy efforts, with a particular
focus on sustaining and increasing appropriations to NHPRC. The
three organizations had agreed last year to establish a joint task
force on advocacy. That task force is being formed now, and our
groups are prepared to move ahead quickly to lead the archival
response to this threat to NHPRC and NARA.

In the next 5-10 days, the new Joint Task Force will issue an action
plan with specific steps that archivists and other concerned
citizens can take to support the effort to save NHPRC. Meanwhile,
please be thinking about who you can mobilize in your state or
region, especially those who might have influence with your
Congressional delegation. One key message to present to Congress is
that the exceptional benefits afforded by NHPRC come at a very low
cost and have long-lasting effects. Specific stories of the impact
that NHPRC has had on local institutions and programs can be
especially effective."