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NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 11, #34; 9 SEPTEMBER 2005)
by Bruce Craig (editor) rbcraig@historycoalition.org with Nathaniel Kulyk
NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY (NCH)
Website at http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~nch
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1.  HISTORY/ARCHIVES COMMUNITY RALLY TO ASSIST IN KATRINA AFTERMATH
2.  NARA SELECTS LOCKHEED MARTIN TO BUILD ERA; ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED
3.  PATRIOT ACT UPDATE
4.  NPS TO REVISE MANAGEMENT POLICIES
5.  BERGER FINED FOR ARCHIVES THEFT
6.  BITS AND BYTES:  NEH Awards "We the People" Grants; Secrecy Report Card
7.   ARTICLES OF INTEREST: No posting this week

1.  HISTORY/ARCHIVES COMMUNITY RALLY TO ASSIST IN KATRINA AFTERMATH
As emergency officials continue to find and rescue survivors, recover
bodies, and clean up the wreckage from Hurricane Katrina, which devastated
a significant portion of the Gulf Coast nearly two weeks ago, efforts are
also underway by various history and archival organizations to pitch in and
begin to survey the damage done to sites of historical significance and to
preserve as much as possible.  This rescue and salvage effort takes on
special importance in a part of the country that is especially rich with
historic sites, artifacts, and archives.

In New Orleans, aerial photos indicate that the French Quarter is
relatively dry and intact.  Locations such as the Caf du Monde,
Preservation Hall, and St. Louis Cathedral appear to have survived the
brunt of the storm.  Museum directors have also determined that the New
Orleans Museum of Art, home to one of the most important collections in the
south, has also been spared from severe damage.

However, other sections of the city were not so fortunate.  Virtually
everything in the Latin Quarter and the Garden District suffered some
damage. Preliminary reports indicate that the New Orleans Public Library
was hit hard and its archive of city records, which are housed in the
basement of the building, probably experienced flooding.  At the New
Orleans Notarial Archives, which hold some 40 million pages of signed acts
compiled by notaries of new Orleans over three centuries, initial efforts
to save historical documents were unsuccessful.  A Swedish document salvage
firm, hired by the archives to freeze-dry records to remove the moisture
from them, was turned away by uniformed personnel as they attempted to
enter the city.  There are a considerable number of freezer trucks
available as soon as they are allowed to access areas currently closed. In
the case of both the public library and the notarial archives, time is of
the essence as humidity, mold, and water damage may decimate these
collections in a matter of days.

Many of the city's oldest historic neighborhoods were completely lost to
the floods.  The U.S. Mint, which was once captured by the Confederate
Army, is missing part of its roof, while uncertainty remains about the
artifacts inside.

Katrina has affected other important historic sites in Louisiana as
well.  Fort Jackson, located south of New Orleans, location of an important
Civil War naval battle, has suffered extensive flooding.  In addition, the
Louisiana State Museum suffered moderate to extensive damage.

In Mississippi, the Old Capitol Museum had a third of its copper roof blown
off, resulting in the flooding of a storage room and exhibit
area.  Beauvoir, the home of Jefferson Davis, located in Biloxi, was
virtually destroyed.  Throughout the ravished parts of the Gulf Coast,
numerous trees and old houses have been lost, in many cases with no hope of
recovery.  Many unanswered questions remain as to the condition of
historical artifacts that were in private hands, or the condition of other
archival collections that may have survived the floodwaters.

As the recovery efforts continue, historical preservation teams will begin
the long process of retrieving documents, photographs, and other important
pieces of history that have helped to shape a nation.  What follows is a
summary of the emergency recovery and assistance efforts we know about.

An emergency team from the National Park Service Museum Resource Center
will soon be arriving in New Orleans to begin its preservation work,
salvaging every artifact they possibly can and protecting them from
mildew.  They will be concentrating specifically on artifacts located at
the Jazz Museum, the Louis Armstrong home, the archives at Jean Lafitte
National Historical Park, and the Chalmette battlefield.  The National Park
Service has also assembled a technical leaflet entitled After the Flood:
Emergency Stabilization and Conservation Methods, which offers suggestions
on how to prevent additional damage and how to maintain historical
integrity: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/nps/npsafter.html .

The Heritage Emergency Task Force is also stepping in to assist in the
recovery.  This task force was created for the purpose of assisting
cultural heritage institutions in the protection of their collections in
the event of natural disasters.  Co-sponsored by Heritage Preservation,
Inc. and the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), it includes
over 30 federal agencies.  At the present time, the task force is working
to coordinate information with the various historical institutions along
the Gulf Coast and are encouraging everyone to donate money to the Disaster
Relief Fund, as health and safety remain the highest priorities.  The FEMA
web page at http://www.fema.gov/ehp/ehp_katrina.shtm and the Heritage
Emergency National Task Force webpage
(http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/TASKFER.HTM) have links to
hurricane response information posted that cover such topics as how to get
aid (both individuals and governments), how to respond and salvage, and how
to mitigate damage.

The Library of Congress will be offering free rewash services to
institutions impacted by the hurricane for motion picture films, provided
that the film can be transported to the lab at Wright Patterson Air Force
Base.  Those interested in the offer should contact Lance Watsky at
lwatsky@sos.state.ga.us.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is making available $1
million in hurricane relief for Gulf Coast cultural resources.  The
emergency grants of up to $30,000 are being made available through the
executive directors of the state humanities councils in Alabama,
Mississippi, and Louisiana and are available to libraries, museums,
colleges, universities and other cultural and historical institutions
affected by the hurricane. For additional information about the program,
tap into http:www.humanities.gov .

In order to help with assessing the damage that has been done to other
historical institutions, the American Association for State and Local
History (AASLH), working with the American Association of Museums, has put
together a "first reports" webpage that can be accessed at
http://www.aam-us.org/aamlatest/news/HurricaneFirstReports.cfm; other
information is being updated constantly at http:www.aaslh.org and at the
AAM website at http:www.aam-us.org/aamlatest/news/hurricane.cfm .  The
AASLH has also established a Historical Resources Recovery Fund in which
100% of the dollars secured will be used for the recovery of historical
resources in the affected states.  Additional information is available at
http://www.aaslh.org/katrina.htm
.  A disaster relief for museums web site
established by the International Council on Museums (ICOM) also provides
exhaustive and updated information on the effects of the disaster with
regard to museums; visit the site at
http://icom.museum/disaster_relief/katrina.html .

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is also raising funds to
assist in the recovery of historical properties and is looking for
volunteers skilled in preservation, architecture, engineering, and small
business development.  People interested in serving on one of the
assessment teams scheduled to go to affected areas when allowed in should
go to the Trust's webpage at http://www.nationaltrust.org/ for
further
information.

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) has begun a list of volunteers
willing to help with disaster recovery.  Interested parties can visit
http://www.archivists.org/news/hurricane-volunteer.asp; additional
information including a joint statement by the archival community can be
viewed at http://www.archivists.org . 
One of the first organizations to
act especially swiftly in efforts to assist is the Society of Southwest
Archivists (SSA).  That organization has established a weblog to share
information about colleagues and others in Louisiana and Mississippi who
have been affected by the hurricane.  It can be viewed at
http://herbie.ischool.utexas.edu/ssacares or contact Brenda Gunn at
bgunn@mail.utexas.edu  for additional information.  One bit of good news is
that there do not appear to be any archivists missing - all have been
accounted for and have reported in to their home institutions.

The Organization of American Historians (OAH) along with the American
Historical Association and the Southern Historical Association have joined
hands to establish a "historians to historians" message board; it is a
place where historians can offer or request assistance.  Several categories
such as "Need help-housing" and "Need help-transportation" have been set up
to facilitate communication and assistance.  For the site, visit the OAH
webpage at http:www.oah.org where the URL link (still under development at
this writing) is prominently displayed.

On the academic front, while many of the colleges and universities affected
by Hurricane Katrina will soon resume classes, Tulane University
(information about Tulane is available at http://emergency.tulane.edu ) and
Loyola University will remain closed until the spring semester in order to
repair the damages to their infrastructure, technology, and communication
systems.  Students enrolled at both Tulane and Loyola are being encouraged
to attend nearby schools and to transfer credits. The History News Network
(HNN) has established a blog where the Tulane history students and faculty
can communicate with each other.  It can be viewed at
http://hnn.us/blogs/45.html . In
addition, the Chronicle of Higher
Education has created a webpage where affected colleges, associations, and
government agencies providing assistance can post messages; go to
http://chronicle.com/katrina .

Colleges and Universities across the country are offering temporary
admission for students directly affected by the hurricane and its
aftermath.  For example, some schools in Texas, where many residents of
Louisiana fled, will allow out-of-state students to enroll at in-state
tuition rates.  The University of Miami has said that they will allow
students to take classes there, collect tuition, and hold it in escrow for
the colleges that the students would otherwise attend.  The Smithsonian
Institution's National Museum of American History has also said that they
would offer temporary positions to the faculty members of the affected
universities.

2.  NARA SELECTS LOCKHEED MARTIN TO BUILD ERA; ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED
On 8 September 2005, Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein
announced the award of a $308 million, six year contract to Lockheed Martin
to build the Electronic Records Archives (ERA) system for the National
Archives and Records Administration (NARA).  The ERA system seeks to
capture and preserve the electronic records of the federal government,
regardless of format; ensure hardware and software independence; and
provide access to the American public and Federal officials.   According to
NARA officials, after a year-long design competition, Lockheed Martin was
chosen to build the archives of the future "based on the technical merit of
the solution it proposed, the excellence of their system and software
engineering methodology, and the quality of their project management."

In making the announcement, Weinstein said, "I am indebted to those who
acted decades and centuries ago to ensure that the records of our past were
preserved for use today. These parchments, pieces of paper, photographs,
and maps have allowed us to reconstruct and understand the story of our
nation and its people.  Today, we act on behalf not only of archivists but
of all Americans of the 21st Century who will use the electronic records
being created by the Federal Government, today and tomorrow, to research,
write, and understand the history of our times.  The ERA system will make
that possible.  The Electronic Records Archives' goal is clear and simple:
a system that accepts, preserves, and makes accessible - far into the
future - any type of electronic document."

Lockheed Martin was selected based on its ability to design a system which
addresses in considerable depth NARA's business needs, on the one hand, and
on the other hand, a system that entails a modern, service-oriented
architecture.  NARA's business needs encompass handling rapidly-growing
volumes of electronic records, ensuring the authenticity of those records,
preserving them for the long term, and providing public access while
protecting privacy and sensitive information.

At a press conference where the announcement was made, Mr. Donato (Don)
Antonucci, President, Transportation and Security Solutions, Lockheed
Martin Corporation said, " the Lockheed Martin team is proud to have been
selected for this essential solution and we will not fail you.  Our vision
is that the ERA system can adapt to the diverse needs of state and local
governments to keep their electronic records accessible for generations to
come.  The challenge of preserving electronic records affects everyone -
from federal agencies, to state and local governments, to the academic
community, to even the private sector."

The announcement comes at the close of a one-year design competition
between Harris Corporation and Lockheed Martin.  The announcement marks the
beginning of the ERA system development, with the initial operating
capability targeted for release during Fiscal Year 2007.

During the same press conference, Dr. Kenneth Thibodeau, Director of the
Electronic Records Archives Program, announced the formation of a
high-level committee to advise and make recommendations to Archivist of the
United States on issues related to the development, implementation, and use
of the ERA system. This committee is named the Advisory Committee on the
Electronic Records Archives (ACERA).

The advisory committee will provide an ongoing structure for bringing
together experts in computer science and information technology, archival
science and records management, information science, the law, history,
genealogy, and education.  The twenty member committee are recognized
experts and leaders in their field.

Committee members include: Dr. David Carmichael, State Archivist of
Georgia; Dr. Jerry Handfield, State Archivist of Washington State; Richard
Pearce-Moses, Director of Digital Government Information at the Arizona
State Library and Archives; Jonathan Redgrave, partner at Jones Day; Dr.
Sharon Dawes, Director of the Center for Technology in Government and
Associate Professor of Public Administration and Policy, the State
University of New York at Albany; Dr Luciana Duranti, Chair and Professor
of Archival Studies,  School of Library, Archival and Information Studies,
The University of British Columbia, and Director of the InterPARES Project;
Dr. Daniel Greenstein, Associate Vice Provost Scholarly Information and
University Librarian, California Digital Library, University of California;
Andy Maltz, Director, Science and Technology Council, Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences; David Rencher, Director, Records and Information
Division, Family and Church History Department, The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints; and Dr. Kelly Woestman, Professor and History
Education Director, Pittsburg State University.

The committee is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), which sets forth standards
for the formation and use of advisory committees.

3.  PATRIOT ACT UPDATE
A recently opened federal lawsuit has revealed that the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) has used a controversial power under the USA PATRIOT
Act to demand records from an organization that possesses a variety of
sensitive information about library patrons.  This includes information
about past usage of the Internet as well as reading materials that were
borrowed by patrons.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is seeking an emergency court
order to lift the gag imposed by the FBI on the plaintiff of the lawsuit
who is a member of the American Library Association (ALA) so that they may
actively participate in the public debate.  As Congress prepares to
reauthorize or amend the PATRIOT Act this month, debate is likely to
increase due to the very importance of this issue.

The ALA, in collaboration with the ACLU, is offering all its members the
resources necessary to host a public forum on the PATRIOT Act.  These
resources include a DVD copy of "Beyond the PATRIOT Act," and the first
episode of "The ACLU Freedom Files," a new television series from producer
Robert Greenwald.  For additional information or to order the DVD, please
email FreedomFiles@activevoice.net, or call (415) 553-2841.

4.  NPS TO REVISE MANAGEMENT POLICIES
Since the creation of the National Park Service (NPS) in 1916, its primary
mission has been to ensure that the parks would remain "unimpaired" by
human activity for the benefit of "future generations."  However, a recent
proposal offered by Paul Hoffman, the deputy assistant of the Department of
the Interior and state director (1985-89) for the then U.S. Representative
Dick Cheney, looks to completely redefine the meaning of "impairment" as it
applies to the NPS's 388 natural and historic sites throughout the country.

Hoffman's proposal would change the meaning of "impairment" from "an impact
to any park resource or value [that] may constitute an impairment" to one
that proves to "permanently and irreversible adversely [affect] a resource
or value."   The controversial redefinition of "impairment" is part of a
larger 194-page draft "revision" of the NPS guideline, "Management
Policies."   The implications of the change on the long-term conservation
and preservation practices of the NPS are staggering.

Opponents of the change, including the 400 member strong Coalition of
National Park Service Retirees, argue that the very face of the national
parks could be altered from places of refuge for natural and cultural
heritage into sites opened up to developers, mining, logging, and
recreational vehicles of every sort imaginable.  According to Bill Wade,
spokesperson for the coalition, "Regardless of what happens in the
redrafting, the Department of the Interior is going to do what it can to
get (the Hoffman proposal) in there.  It can only be [through a] public
outcry and the influence from Congress that can be brought to bear on this"
that the proposal can be "turned back."

The National Coalition for History will be monitoring the development of
the proposed draft revision and will alert readers and member organizations
when the revised document is released by the Interior Department and
published in the Federal Register thereby providing an opportunity for
public comment.  According to NPS director Fran Mainella, the public,
Congress, and the Department of the Interior could all ultimately play a
part in which version is adopted.

5.  BERGER FINED FOR ARCHIVES THEFT
Readers of this publication may recall the story we reported a few months
back in which former Clinton administration national security advisor
Samuel "Sandy" Berger was caught smuggling classified terrorism-related
documents out of the National Archives.  On 8 September 2005 federal
Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson ordered Berger to pay a $50,000 fine
as well as $6,905 in administrative costs, give up his security clearance
for three years, serve a two year probation, and perform 100 hours of
community service as penalty for smuggling classified documents back in 2003.

This last April Berger pled guilty to unauthorized removal and retention of
classified documents and Justice Department lawyers had proposed only a
$10,000 fine.  But in passing sentence Judge Robinson declared that the
proposed fine "is inadequate because it doesn't reflect the seriousness of
the offense."

Berger told the court that he let "considerations of personal convenience
override clear rules of handling classified material."  He accepted the
judgement and does not plan to appeal the sentence.

6.  BITS AND BYTES
Item #1 - NEH Awards "We the People" Grants -- The National Endowment for
the Humanities (NEH) has awarded $19.8 million for 124 new grants for
seminars and institutes, programs in television, radio, and film, and
faculty workshops.  Thirty-seven of these grants are designated as "We the
People" projects, a special recognition by the NEH for projects that
specifically seek to advance and promote the study of American culture and
history.

Some of the grants that have been awarded for "We the People" projects
include $1 million for the creation of an Institute for Constitutional
studies at George Washington University; $1 million for a project entitled
"Freedom of Religion, for Religion or From Religion? Religion in American
Public Life" at the University of Notre Dame; $500,000 for the Walt Whitman
Archive at the University of Nebraska; $250,000 for the National Video
Resources for a project entitled "Jazz Legacy: An American Art Form"; and
$1 million for the Montpelier Foundation's Center for the Constitution
Endowment.  For a complete list of grant recipients, visit
http://www.neh.gov/pdf/august2005grants.pdf (Adobe Reader is required).

Item #2 - Secrecy Report Card -- Many Americans have sensed a qualitative
reduction in their access to government information, particularly when it
concerns matters of security policy. A new publication from the coalition
OpenTheGovernment.org (of which the National Coalition for History is a
member) provides some quantitative benchmarks that confirm and document the
rise in official secrecy.  Metrics cited in the report range from formal
classification -- which is at a record high -- to the fraction of federal
advisory committee meetings closed to the public -- nearly two-thirds.  For
the Secrecy Report Card 2005 by Rick Blum, OpenTheGovernment.org, September
2005 go to: http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SRC2005.pdf

7.  ARTICLES OF INTEREST
No posting this week.

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