NHPRC adopts new directives, awards grants.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: News, Trends & Analysis - National Historical Publications and Records Commission - Brief Article

At a recent meeting, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) set a new course for funding the national archival system and adopted a new strategic plan calling for leadership in public policy, distribution of the most important traditional documents in U.S. history, and creating a national network for state and local documentary preservation and use.

The commission also recommended to the archivist of the United States grants of up to $5.8 million for 71 projects in 27 states and the District of Columbia. The recommendations included $3.3 million for documentary editing projects that focus on the papers and records of Americans including Frederick Douglass, Thomas Edison, and Eleanor Roosevelt, and on significant events in U.S. history. Funds of $2.2 million also went to records-access projects to preserve and make accessible important documents and archives in collections around the country.

The commission funded two electronic records projects to create records management systems for Maine state...