Richard and Daniel,

I understand both your viewpoints.  I have to say, I have mixed 
feelings about this.  I lived through and survived two Federal 
Reductions in Force (RIFs), one at NARA durig 1981-1982 and one at GAO 
in 1996.  I would rather see an agency examine other cost cutting 
measures before it has to resort to firing people.  And I bet NARA's 
top managers would like to avoid a RIF, also.  Actually, I haven't 
heard RIFs mentioned although Bruce Craig mentioned possible furloughs. 
  OF course, those would cut into employees' income.  Richard, did the 
question of RIFs come up during the forum?  I wasn't able to attend.

A Federal RIF can be very disruptive, causing people to lose their 
jobs, not because of performance, but simply because of budget cuts.  
Moreover, when NARA had to RIF early in the Reagan administration, it 
was quite chaotic, as people had bumping rights, and they bumped 
downwards and knocked colleagues out of their jobs.  I hope NARA never 
has to RIF again, myself.

As for research hours, NARA did publish usage figures.  I would guess 
that most people who rely on NARA for professional or job related 
research can get to the facility during business hours.  I know I 
could, my boss would understand that doing research was part of my job 
as historian.  Perhaps NARA can work out some kind of compromise, but I 
for one wouldn't want it to come at the cost of people losing their 
jobs.  Especially as it is SO very hard to get into Federal service 
these days, especially for a job at NARA.

I've mentioned for a couple of years now that Federal civilian agencies 
face tight times in terms of budgets.  I'm following this story with 
great interest, given my many friends at NARA.

Maarja (former Nixon tapes archivist)

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: Call to action: Comment on proposed reduction in NARA 
reading room hours

Richard,
 
While I'm not looking to start a firestorm particularly, I'm not sure I 
agree entirely with your analysis of this change.  I agree completely 
that, if possible, extended hours should be available.  But I don't 
honestly consider a move to normal business hours only as a "serious 
barrier to public access."  If they were shutting down four days a week 
I'd be with you, but losing evening & weekend hours moves it only to a 
level of inconvenience to my mind.
 
Most of us conduct business during normal business hours - including 
corporate, university, and public sector archives.  Most repositories I 
know have specific opening hours, and they don't often include such 
extended times.  I accept the fact that users will now have to take 
working hours to visit, but I don't see this as paying for access. 
Raising taxes to pay for the additional open hours would be 
equivalently asking users (and non-users alike) to pay for access.  
Users will simply have to choose how they spend their working-hours 
time, as most of us do.
 
I support your (& SAA's) efforts to come to a compromise, but like in 
all businesses, choices have to be made.  I'd rather they 
restrict off-peak hours than have to cut something else out of the 
budget.
 
DS
______________________________________
Daniel Sokolow, Archives Coordinator
David Taylor Archives
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
155 Community Drive
Great Neck, NY 11021
mailto:[log in to unmask]

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