PAHR Brochure
Then… Now… Always?
How can we ensure that America’s record will be available for the future?
Then…
America’s historical record exists not just in the National Archives and the Library of
Congress, but in thousands of archival repositories across the nation. Large and small,
rich and poor, staffed by amateurs and by professionals – these archives are as diverse as
the people who created the records and the people who use them. Together they tell the
full American story….

Our ancestors’ letters, photographs, and recordings form archival collections that let
us touch our past. They help us imagine and understand the lives of soldiers,
scientists, artists, leaders, and the everyday people who created our communities and
our nation. These collections are scattered throughout our country.

Our historical record is being created every day. Consider your own birth certificate,
for example. It’s the first document in a chain of archival records that prove your
identity and citizenship. And it’s saved at [example].

Your marriage certificate or divorce decree, the records of your home ownership,
[one more example] – all are critical records.
When local, state, and national governments preserve their archival records, they honor
the basic tenet of democracy – the citizens’ right to know the workings of their
government.
Now….
Much of the American record – evidence of births, education, marriage, divorce, property
owned, obligations satisfied, and criminal conduct – is held at the state and local level.
The American record is simply not complete without this information.
Archives – and the professional archivists who manage them - do more than take care of
the documents, records, and collections that we need and treasure. They also make them
available for use in countless ways.

Educators use the primary sources available in archives to teach children about our
nation’s past and the importance of civic involvement.

Genealogists use archives to research family histories.

Filmmakers and writers use archives to create films and books that capture our
imaginations, stir our emotions, and help us see the world through others’ eyes.

Legislators use archives to understand past policies and develop new ones.

Environmentalists use archives to document changes in public health, flora and fauna,
land and water.
We all use the historical records housed in archives to protect our rights as American
citizens. More resources are needed now at state and local levels to ensure essential care
of archival records in their many forms.
Always?
When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, millions of records
were destroyed and thousands of lives were disrupted. Some victims couldn’t prove their
identity; others couldn’t document ownership of their property. America learned the hard
way that maintenance of and access to our records is critically important to our way of
life.
Significant portions of America’s historical record are in jeopardy….
It doesn’t take a hurricane or flood or fire to destroy the documents and records that we
need and treasure. Neglect can be just as destructive as Mother Nature. Important
documents may be discarded if no one knows – or knows how – to save and preserve
them. They can disintegrate when mold, mildew, or insects creep into inadequately
protected archives or library buildings. The advent of electronic records has created
additional challenges for training, preservation, and access.
Every American citizen and every American community should be represented in, and
have access to, the American historical record.
The “Preserving America’s Historical Record” Act would ensure that the
documents and records that America needs and treasures are cared for and available to all
Americans for generations to come.
“Preserve America’s Historical Record”Act
The “Preserve America’s Historical Record” Act would create a partnership at the
national, state, and local levels to improve the care of, and access to, America’s complete
historical record.

The Act would authorize the Archivist of the United States to make grants to the
states for preservation and dissemination of historical records. The federal share of
grants (66%) would be administered according to a state-based formula.

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The states would provide matching funds and would administer programs to ensure
that historical records are protected from harm and preserved for public use.
Local repositories would provide additional supplemental funding and would
implement programs to enhance access to the record.
You can help to ensure that the American record is saved for future
generations by supporting the “Preserve America’s Historical Record”
Act.
The following organizations are “Partners for the American Historical Record”:
Council of State Archivists
National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators
Society of American Archivists
For more information, contact:
Kathleen D Roe, Director of Operations
New York State Archives
9C35 Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Telephone: 518-473-4254
Email: kroe@mail.nysed.gov
Victoria Irons Walch, Executive Director
Council of State Archivists
308 East Burlington Street, #189
Iowa City, IA 52240
Telephone: 319-338-0248
Email: vwalch@statearchivists.org