1. From the National Council of History, re: NARA/NHPRC Funding

Dear NCH Member,

NCH has worked with Congressmen John Larson (D-CT), Don Young (R-AK), and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) to seek support for additional funding in the upcoming fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

They have circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter to their fellow representatives urging them to show their support. The letter will be sent to the chair and ranking member of the House Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over NARA and the NHPRC's budgets. Please click on this link to see the letter which has already been sent to House members.

We are requesting the House Appropriations Committee to provide at least $433 million for NARA's operating expenses in FY22 and at least $13 million for the NHPRC. NARA's operating expenses budget in constant dollars has remained stagnant for over a decade, even as its responsibilities have increased. When adjusted for inflation, NARA's budget has decreased by 10% since 2012. NARA today has fewer employees than it did in 1985.

We need you to urge your members to contact their representative and ask them to sign on to the letter in support of additional funding for NARA and the NHPRC.

Please visit our website for step-by-step instructions on how to contact Congress on this matter that is so vital to NCH's mission. You have the option of sending an email or making a phone call.

Note: This alert is for the House only. We are currently working to find bi-partisan sponsors for a similar Dear Colleague letter in the Senate.  

Please let me know if you have any questions or need assistance in setting up your alert. This is a high priority item so please send it out to your members as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Lee

National Coalition for History

2.  The Regional Archival Associations Consortium (RAAC) is pleased to announce the What is a Regional Archival Organization? webinar taking place on Monday, May 24th at 2 pm ET.

Monday, May 24th, 2021
11 pm PT / 12 pm MT / 1 pm CT / 2 pm ET

RAAC encompasses multi-state, state, and local archival organizations. This webinar will cover four different archival organizations, their structures, and their initiatives, which includes fundraising, publications, annual meetings, and so much more. If you have ever wondered how other archival organizations are run, then this is the webinar for you!

Covering multi-state archival organizations, Jeremy Brett will be speaking on both the Society of Southwest Archivists and the Midwest Archives Conference. Covering state archival organizations, Kathy Smith will be talking about the Society of Tennessee Archivists and Lorraine Stuart will be speaking about the Society of Mississippi Archivists. Covering a local archival organization, Annia Gonzalez will be talking about the South Florida Archives Collective.
 
Meeting URL: ucf.zoom.us/j/...
Meeting ID: 994 0686 6299
Passcode: 943729

Thank you!

Mary Rubin

Public Awareness Chair

3. Recommended Reading:

This month's advocacy highlight is brought to you by RAAC Advocacy Committee member Megan Badgley-Malone. Archival advocacy work is hard work, in large part because a lot of that work entails having to show people why they should care about the work that we as archivists are doing. How can we engage the necessary stakeholders (be they funders, researchers, etc.) so that they care (and continue to care!) about the work of archives and archivists? In the reading Megan selected for this month, Grabowski contends that by expanding their user base, archives will also be creating a larger advocacy base.  "Keepers, Users, and Funders: Building an Awareness of Archival Value," by John Grabowski. The American Archivist (1992) 55 (3): 464–472. Available for free online: doi.org/10.17723/aarc.55.3.r9gmpj0rj8530811

Stay tuned for a forthcoming email that will highlight advocacy content in line with Preservation Week 2021's theme of "Preserving Community Archives". 

All the best, 
Cathy

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Cathy Miller
Chair, RAAC Advocacy Committee
Society of Georgia Archivists RAAC Liaison