The mouse that roared.

Abstract

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) miet on November 14, 2000, and recommended grants totaling up to S3,801,809 for 47 projects to preserve, publish, and encourage the use of documentary sources relating to the history of the tTnited States. Archivist of the tJnited States and NHPRC Chairman Jolhn W. Carlin expressed satisfaction w ith recent legislation, passed by the Congress and signed by the President, re-authorizing amnual appropriations for the NHPRC s grant program through FT 2005 at a maximum funding level of $10 million. The Commission based its actions on an estimated funding level of $6 million. This is the level of funding provided in the recently vetoed Treasury 'Postal Appropriations Bill for EY 2001 and provided in the previous 2 fiscal years. All funding recommlendations made at this meeting are contingent on the availability of appropriated finds for FN 2001. Competition for funding was fierce: requests tinder consideration at this meeting alone exceeded S8 million. While reaffirming its suipport for the Founding-Era documentarx editions, the Commiission took note of a substantial increase in the number and quality of grant proposals in the State Board and Electronic Records Programs. Of particular interest was the marked increase in the amouint of state finds committed to match NHPRC regrant recommendations: a total of 5913,000. SLx of the proposals in the electronic records category were in response to the Conmyission's November 1999 call for pro posals to broaden the base and raise the level of archival expertise in the area of electronic records throughout the nation. At this first meeting of the Federal fiscal yea;r, the NHPRC considers projects addressing its three equtial strategic goals: to support the eight Founding-Era documentary editing projects: to partner with the states in jointly funded programs to strengthen the nation's archival infrastruicture and to expand the range of records that are protected andt accessible, and to provide leadership in fuinding research-anddevelopment on appraising, preserving, disseminating, and providing access to important documentary sources in electronic form. The Commission remained strongly committed to all three of its strategic goals. After much discussion, the members were ahle to maintain last year's level of funding for the Founding-Era documentary editing projects, xwithout further diminishing the amounts awarded in the other tx o areas. However, the txvo successful NHPRC FelloNxship Programs, in Archival Administration and in D)ocumentary Editing, will he suspended for the period 2001-02, because of the NHPRC s budget dilemma. The Commission recommended 8 grants for Fouinding-Era documentary editing projects totaling 51,295,714: a total of S985,383 for regrant projects in 7 states: 13 administrative support grants to State Historical Records Advisory Boards totaling $143,494; and 9 grants totaling S1,200,000 for electronic records projects. A grant of S71,123 to the American Association for State and Local History. in partnership w ith the Council of State Historical Records Coordinators, Nill help imiplemnent key elements of the National Foruiml on Archival Continuing Education's action agenda. The Conmmnission also recommendedt 8 subvention grants for historical documentary editions totaling 575,493 and a grant of s30,602 to support the 2001 Institute for the Editing of Historical Documents. The complete list of funded projects appears at the end of this article.