It’s Important To Take Part In Archives Week

NYS Archival Advisory Services Coordinator Raymond LaFever recently reported the New York State Legislature has adjourned for the year without taking action on the bill that would provide $1,000,000 for the DHP, as well as more funding for the Archives Partnership Trust.

A bill was introduced in the Senate and a companion bill was on the verge of being introduced in the Assembly at the time of adjournment.

"The fact that there was a bill introduced in the Senate was an important first step in our efforts to increase DHP funding," Mr. LaFever said. "We are disappointed that it didn't get a vote this year, but bills such as this rarely do get passed in the first attempt. Efforts will be taken to reintroduce the bill in the next legislative session."

Repositories and libraries can assist in this effort by reminding their legislators about the DHP and what they are doing to preserve New York's Documentary Heritage.

Institutions can do this in a number of ways:

• Celebrate Archives Week and invite local legislators to any events, exhibits or activities.
• For those doing projects with the schools, alert representatives. If there is a prize giving for student projects using local historical records, let the representative take part.
• Celebrating an anniversary? Invite legislators to take part.
• Opening a new exhibit or facility? Let your local assembly person and/or state senator cut the ribbon.
• Any other ideas to get legislators in the news for showing support for historical records should be considered.

Be Thinking Of How To Celebrate Archives Week

Even though the leaves are still a bright green on the trees and far from holding their colors of fall, the NNY Library Network is asking area libraries and repositories to start thinking about Archives Week.

It is being held October 8-14, 2006, but information on all events is due to the NYS Archives office by mid-August. A mailing will be going out in the coming days, and the Network would be thrilled to have a huge response this year.