The Library of Virginia About Us

State Historical Records Advisory Board

Robert J. Vejnar, II
Abingdon

Brooks Miles Barnes
Onancock

F. Wayne Dementi
Manakin-Sabot

Sara Baron
Virginia Beach

Ervin L. Jordan, Jr.
Charlottesville

Joyce A. Kistner
Bristol

Carl Childs (Deputy State Coordinator)
Richmond

Michael Anne Lynn
Lexington

Michele R. Lee
Mount Vernon

Sandra Treadway (State Librarian, State Archivist, and State Coordinator)
Richmond

Frances S. Pollard
Richmond

Aaron D. Purcell
Blacksburg

G. William Thomas, Jr.
Richmond

Purpose, Powers, and Duties

The State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) serves as the central advisory body for historical records planning and related projects developed and carried out by the state. The board may publish and sponsor surveys of conditions and needs of historical records in the state, review records and proposals by institutions in the state, and make recommendations to the National Historical Publications and Records Commissions (NHPRC).

Central to this mission are:

1. developing and submitting to the Commission state priorities for historical records as part of a state board plan;

2. promoting an understanding of the role and value of historical records;

3. soliciting or developing proposals for NHPRC grant projects;

4. reviewing proposals by institutions in the state and making recommendations about these to the Commission;

5. fostering and supporting cooperative networks and programs dealing with historical records;

6. reviewing through reports and otherwise monitoring the operation and progress of projects in the state financed by NHPRC grants;

7. and advising the State Archives and other statewide archival, records, or information agencies.

STRATEGIC PLAN

The five objectives of the plan are of equal importance. The Virginia Board is the primary facilitator of the strategic plan with the Library of Virginia providing primary support. The tasks are assigned level one or level two priorities, with level one priorities receiving the most emphasis. SHRAB will review grant proposals with an emphasis on how they complement the Statewide Strategic Plan and meet the priorities of the plan.

The strategic plan will continue to be evaluated by SHRAB and priorities will be reviewed for changes, additions, or deletions as required by the needs of the archival and records management community.

Mission

The State Historical Records Advisory Board shall promote and support statewide policies and practices that ensure the preservation of and access to the commonwealth's public and private historical records. The Board by federal mandate shall review grant proposals submitted to NHPRC. The Board shall also coordinate and implement the Statewide Strategic Plan.

OBJECTIVES:

(Note: The asterisk signifies items targeted for grant funding)
#1 LEADERSHIP: Promote and support statewide policy and management practices that ensure the preservation and use of the commonwealth's historical records (including electronic) both public and private.

Level One Priorities:

Provide leadership in cooperation with The Library of Virginia, in encouraging adherence to archival and records-management principles and creating opportunity for statewide sharing of information through regular meetings and workshops organized through statewide associations that encourage a greater knowledge and understanding of the concerns of various and different types of archives and repositories.
Encourage compliance with Public Records Act, Code of Virginia 42.1-76, which is the basis for the statewide records management program.
Promote knowledge and understanding of the importance of historical records.

Level Two Priorities:

Propose legislative initiatives to provide funding for preservation of records.
Establish a SHRAB committee to coordinate public relations and outreach endeavors.
Develop an educational/study program utilizing historical documents for schools to use that would include exhibits, films, and lectures.
Encourage continuing-education opportunities statewide for those working with records at public and private institutions.

#2 PUBLIC / PRIVATE RECORDS: Encourage the management of public and private records and collection development through: surveying repositories, supporting maintenance and preservation of collections, and promoting identification and dissemination of collection information.

Level One Priorities:

Promote the identification and maintenance of public records of permanent historical value through the administration of a sound statewide records management program by The Library of Virginia.
Encourage the preservation and management of private records, especially those records for which there is no centralized repository (such as business records).
Promote cooperation in collection development and encourage institutional spheres of influence in collection development to avoid competition.
*Promote the development of and support for funding initiatives for public and private repositories.

#3 ELECTRONIC RECORDS: Encourage development and implementation of electronic records systems that insure the preservation of data/information deemed of permanent historical value.

Level One Priorities:

Encourage the incorporation of electronic records-keeping into records management functions.

Level Two Priorities:

*Promote educational opportunities in the care and keeping of electronic records.
Encourage the development of systems and legislation toward the goal of establishing electronic records as "permanent" media.

#4 ACCESS/PRIVACY: Promote access to records consistent with public interest, right to access, and privacy protection law.

Level One Priorities:

*Promote adherence to established machine readable cataloging (MARC) and description standards for public records and encourage participation by private repositories.
Encourage positive customer service attitudes and practices that promote access to records.
Encourage and support the removal of any limitations to access to public records.
Encourage removal of any physical access barriers to historical records (per the Americans With Disabilities Act).
*Encourage professional communications and cooperation through systems and database development and consistency in inventory controls among public and private repositories of historical records.

Level Two Priorities:

Encourage private record-keepers to seek education regarding records subject to privacy protection and copyrights.

#5 PRESERVATION/DISASTER PLANNING: Promote development of guidelines, including disaster planning, to ensure preservation of historical records.

Level One Priorities:

Encourage development of disaster plans for public and private records and for repositories, and promote their dissemination statewide.
Identify and publicize funding and other resources to assist with preservation and disaster planning work for public and private repositories and seek regrant funds for disaster planning for the archival repositories in the state.
Encourage preservation awareness and accepted practices within the professional community.
Educate public in how to identify records of permanent historical value and in basic preservation skills through publications, videos, workshops, and other outreach activities.

Level Two Priorities:

Promote planning and setting of archival standards at the time records are created.
Identify a consortium of practitioners to provide preservation and disaster assistance.

National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)

NHPRC's Mission

NHPRC is the grant-making affiliate of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Commission has defined as its purpose "to carry out its statutory mission to ensure understanding of our nation's past by promoting nationwide the identification, preservation, and dissemination of essential historical documentation."
NHPRC makes grants nationwide to help identify, preserve, and provide public access to records, photographs, and other materials that document American history. The grants go to state and local archives, colleges and universities, libraries, historical societies, and other nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.

National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 111
Washington, DC 20408-0001
Phone: 202-501-5610
Fax: 202-501-5601
For comments or questions, send an e-mail to nhprc@nara.gov
Web address: www.archives.gov/grants/

Thinking about a smaller grant? Check out these possibilities:

National Endowment for the Humanities
Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions
www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/pag.html
Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions, such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, town and county records offices, and colleges, improve their ability to preserve and care for their humanities collections.

Virginia Genealogical Society
www.vgs.org/awards.htm
A matching grants program designed to support the small to moderate sized organization or library that maintains an archival program of material that assists researchers of Virginia genealogical and historical information.

Wondering about the history of the board and the role of its members? Click here for the SHRAB orientation presentation.

Learn more about the Basics of Archives Continuing Education Program:
http://www.statearchivists.org/arc/bace/index.htm

The Basics of Archives Continuing Education (BACE) program provides training materials designed to introduce individuals who have responsibility for archival collections—but may never have received formal archival training—to the basics of archives.

Taking the BACE course will not make anyone an archivist. Instead it is intended to make participants aware of the responsibilities and obligations that historical records programs accept when they bring an archival collection into their institutions. Ideally, the BACE program will connect professional archivists with those intelligent, hard working, and well meaning individuals who care for historical records in local institutions.

The BACE CD-ROM for the online course contains additional resources, background reading, and examples. The CD can be duplicated for distribution to participants in onsite workshops.

You can obtain copies of this CD by contacting your Virginia State Historical Records Advisory Board:

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carl Childs (Deputy State Coordinator)
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219-8000
(804) 692-3739
Carl.Childs@lva.virginia.gov