********************************************************************** NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 12, #30; 8 JULY 2006) by Bruce Craig (editor) NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY (NCH) Website at http://www.h-net.org/~nch/ *********************************************************************** NOTE TO READERS: An abbreviated WASHINGTON UPDATE this week and only periodic postings for the next couple of weeks as the editor is away from the office in the great far North on a working vacation. Normal weekly postings will resume in early August. 1. FOIA ANNIVERSARY 2. NARA BUDGET -- STILL TIME TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD 3. BITS AND BYTES 4. ARTICLES OF INTEREST ******************************* 1. FOIA ANNIVERSARY This last week was the fortieth anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on 4 July 4 1966. The event was commemorated with the release of a number of reports and special publications. Tom Blanton of the National Security Archive has issued a brief history of the FOIA titled "Freedom of Information at 40" which is based on documents obtained from the Johnson Presidential Library. For the report, go to: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB194/index.htm . The National Security Archive has also assembled a legislative history of the FOIA Act that can be found at: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/foialeghistory/legistfoia.htm . OpenTheGovernment.org has issued a critical analysis of agency "improvement" plans that assesses how well various federal agencies are complying with FOIA. The report, titled "FOAI's 40th Anniversary: Agencies Respond to President's Call for Improved Disclosure of Information" finds that there is a varying range of agency compliance with provisions of the law. For the report, go to: http://www.openthegovernment.org/ 2. NARA BUDGET -- STILL TIME TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD A week or so back the National Coalition for History issued an "NCH Action Alert" in which we reported on the dire predicament confronting the National Archives budget in FY 2007. We stated that there is an operational shortfall of $12 million in the President's proposed budget; that in addition, an ADDITIONAL $8 million was cut from the NARA budget when lawmakers voted to take money from NARA in order to fund an anti-drug amendment. NARA is also dealing with $2 million worth of flood damage at its Washington D.C. Main Archives facility. But in addition, a second flood -- this one at NARA's Suitland facility -- has soaked an estimated 15,000 boxes of records including the papers of several Members of Congress. Unless the $22 million is added to NARA's base funding by the Senate NARA officials may be compelled to reduce research room hours of operation; cut the number of hours the rotunda is open to visitors to view the documents of American Freedom (the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution); and other cost-cutting measures would be instituted, including the elimination of door-to-door shuttle service between Main Archives and College Park, new photocopying fees, and creation of a charge for reference services throughout the NARA system. Finally, researchers may be further inconvenienced if the National Archives has to balance its books by furloughing employees. Readers who have not yet made their voice known in support of a proposed $22 million increase for NARA still have time to call their senator (the Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121) and urge them to add the needed funds to the NARA budget. 3. BITS AND BYTES No postings this week. 4. ARTICLES OF INTEREST No postings this week. ***************************************** Who We Are... The National Coalition for History (NCH) is a nonprofit educational organization that provides leadership in history related advocacy; it serves as the profession's national voice in the promotion of history and archives, and acts as a clearinghouse of news and information of interest to history related professionals. Membership in the history coalition is open to organizations that share our concern for history and archives. For information on how your history/archive organization can become a member, visit our website at http://www.h-net.org/~nch/ and click on the "Join the Coalition" web link. Contribute and Support this publication... Individuals are invited to help support the NCH by sending a donation directly to the NCH at 400 A Street S.E., Washington D.C. 20003, or, by making an online donation at http://www.conservenow.org/detail.asp?ORGID=2032&memflag=true. 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