In the states and territories, the NHPRC is assisted in its work by a network of State Historical Records Advisory Boards (SHRABs). Utilizing funding from the NHPRC and local sources, many of these boards undertake projects that create resources to address records needs in their states. Although these resources may be designed to address the … Continue reading Sharing Knowledge State by State
In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment with a deliberate policy of racial segregation. The judge found that Boston schools had intentionally carried out a program of segregation and ordered the School Committee to formulate a desegregation plan. When the … Continue reading Digitizing Boston’s Desegregation Records for the Classroom
October observes both Hispanic Heritage Month and Archives Month, so I’m highlighting a recently completed project that speaks to both celebrations. The University of California at San Diego digitized the Herman Baca collection and, in the process, made some really great contacts with its outreach efforts. First some information about the Herman Baca and the … Continue reading Happy Hispanic Heritage Month and Archives Month
Following on Kathleen Williams’ 3 September blog post “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Grantees,” I am posting some important tips for applicants. Contact the director of the NHPRC grant program to which you plan to apply. Even seasoned grant writers can benefit from having a phone conversation or email chat with the grant program director. … Continue reading Six Tips for Highly Effective Applicants
Fifty years ago this month, the National Historical Publications Commission ("Records" was added in 1974) met to make its first grant recommendation. (There is no visual documentation of this meeting, but I'm sure it looked something like the above image.) The first meeting of the NHPC had been held on January 29, 1935, in … Continue reading The First of 5,000
Have you been watching "The Roosevelts" on PBS? Bully! As many know, President Franklin Roosevelt was instrumental in the creation of the National Archives, signing the 1934 Act that established both the Archives and the National Historical Publications Commission (later renamed as the National Historical Publications and Records Commission). But it was President Theodore Roosevelt … Continue reading TR and the Archives
As I prepare to receive our first applications funding Literacy and Engagements with Historical Sources (drafts due 10/1/14, final 12/4/14), I often reflect on my first experiments with trying to have college students use documents on the web in the 1990s. It wasn’t always easy for them. Undergraduates were not all comfortable on the web. … Continue reading Literacy and Engagement with Primary Sources (Webinar on 9/11, 3 pm ET)
Hoorah! Whether you are a first time applicant or a seasoned veteran of the grant application process, that feeling of success on receiving a “thumbs up” from the NHPRC, or any funder, never gets old. You competed successfully and the funding for your project is secured. Take a well deserved bow! Now that you have … Continue reading Seven Habits of Highly Effective Grantees
Two articles about digitization came across my desk this week; you probably saw them too. One argued for a re-prioritization of work so that more funds could be devoted to the preservation of audiovisual materials. The other explored the work of an organization seeking out and scanning old meteorological data that only exists on paper … Continue reading Preservation and Access
When I came to work as the Project Archives Assistant on the NHPRC grant at Appalachian State in the Fall of 2012, my only prior experience working in the archives was limited to a few months as a student. My interests lie primarily in absorbing knowledge concerned with the history and folklore of the Appalachian … Continue reading Project Archivist Shares Thoughts on His Early Career and NHPRC’s Role
