|
Illinois
State Historical Records Advisory Board
Consultant's
"Needs and Issues" Strategic Plan Report
Maynard Brichford
3 August 1999
- Strategic
Plan Goals
The goal of the Strategic Planning
Project for the State of Illinois is to "address statewide
historical records needs and issues", "involve a wide
range of historical records stakeholders", and "through
the planning process itself achieve consensus for that plan".
In supporting the project, the objectives of the National
Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) are
"to promote broad public participation in historical
documentation", "strengthen the nation's archival
infrastructure and expand the range of records that are protected
and accessible", and request that state boards "take on
statewide planning, advocacy and educational roles."1
Just as consensus on a strategic
plan to strengthen an "archival infrastructure" requires
a common understanding of archives, planning for the retention of
historical records requires a basic understanding of archival
practice and the major developmental problems of historical
records repositories. The "needs and issues" faced by
archival practitioners in both individual and collective programs
are the same. They must meet challenges in seven areas of archival
practice to the extent permitted by their human and financial
resources. They administer, authenticate, appraise, arrange,
describe, protect and provide their holdings for long-term
research use.
All custodians of historical
records have administrative responsibilities. Every repository
needs a clear and concise mission statement, a continuing source
of financial support, and periodic program reviews. In small
programs, the management of archives and manuscripts may be
regarded as part-time activities and are often neglected. Larger
programs may devote most of their resources to one area of their
responsibility to the neglect of the others. Holders of archives
must authenticate acquisitions to arrive at a proper appraisal of
their research value, document provenance, and determine the
amount of time required for description and preservation.
Appraisal is an essential step involving the decision to keep or
destroy a "record series" or "collection". It
requires a thorough survey of related documentation, a knowledge
of potential research usage, and calculation of the costs of
processing and retention. The careful arrangement or organization
of archival holdings is required to maintain the integrity of the
material and to facilitate access in the future. Description in
archival guides, inventories and finding aids is necessary to
provide contextual and topical access to historical records. The
physical protection of documentation by proper housing, storage
and handling will ensure that it is available for future use.
Providing archives for long-term research use is the primary goal
of an archival program. It should be encouraged, documented and
analyzed.
Three major problems facing
historical records repositories are a lack of planning or a vision
of future development, a lack of financial resources to meet the
requirements of an archival program, and patchwork programs
resulting from short term grants and limited continuing education
opportunities.
- Review
of Number and Types of Illinois Historical Records Repositories
An analysis of needs and issues
relating to historical records requires some definitions.
"Archives" are the organized records of an institution
or an individual retained for research or administrative use.
"Historical records" are archives or other documentary
information retained for long-term research use. The dictionary
defines "stakeholder" as one who holds a wager, but in
connection with historical records, it appears to mean one who
seeks to gain from an activity. For the purposes of this report
"stakeholders" are the institutions with an interest in
the retention of noncurrent records for research use. The term is
used in the Council of State Historical Records Coordinators' 1996
national survey of historical records repositories. In analyzing
the COSHRC questionnaires, "major stakeholders" are
research institutions holding more than 5,000 cubic or linear
feet, or having annual budgets exceeding $100,000, and have at
least one professional staff member. "Large
stakeholders" are records repositories holding from 500 to
4,999 cubic or linear feet, and having annual budgets exceeding
$20,000. "Small stakeholders" are repositories holding
less than 500 cubic or linear feet, and having budgets of less
than $20,000. The latter category corresponds to the
"medium" and "small" categories in the COSHRC
report. The ultimate individual stakeholders are the entire
population of the state.2
An understanding of the needs and
issues of Illinois institutions also requires a knowledge of
current conditions. The demographic, geographic and political
relationships in Illinois are major factors in planning state
programs. Regional and municipal influences are strong. The data
collected by the Illinois State Archives for the COSHRC report
provided one information base for this report. Of the twenty-one
states providing data, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio
and Pennsylvania were of comparable size. They account for 27% of
the United States' population, 29% of the colleges, 28% of the
libraries, and 31% of the historical records repositories listed
in the 1988 National Historical Publications and Records
Commission Directory.
Type
of Repository
State |
Hist.
Soc./
Archives
|
Academic
|
Pub.
Lib.
|
Museum
|
Originating
Agency
|
Total
|
|
Illinois*
|
77
|
35
|
69
|
46
|
24
|
251
|
|
New York
|
192
|
65
|
87
|
74
|
66
|
484
|
|
Ohio
|
148
|
46
|
123
|
50
|
37
|
404
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
128
|
64
|
39
|
48
|
20
|
299
|
|
Michigan
|
73
|
23
|
64
|
43
|
15
|
218
|
|
Florida
|
9
|
14
|
9
|
2
|
4
|
38
|
Size of Repository
|
State
|
Major
|
Large
|
Medium
|
Small or
not given
|
|
Illinois*
|
16
|
25
|
69
|
141
|
|
New York
|
11
|
59
|
136
|
278
|
|
Ohio
|
15
|
30
|
84
|
275
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
17
|
49
|
88
|
145
|
|
Michigan
|
12
|
21
|
46
|
139
|
|
Florida
|
3
|
6
|
11
|
18
|
Total Holdings of Paper Records (in
thousands of cubic or linear feet)
|
State
|
State
Archives
1994
|
Other
Repository
1996
|
Total
|
|
Illinois
|
67.8**
|
172.1
|
239.9
|
|
New York
|
57.0
|
224.3
|
281.3
|
|
Ohio
|
31.5
|
217.1
|
248.6
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
30.6
|
228.0
|
258.6
|
|
Michigan
|
44.9
|
196.1
|
241.0
|
|
Florida
|
35.4
|
26.1
|
61.5
|
*Illinois data updated in
1999.
**With an archives building since 1938, Illinois had a head start
in acquiring state archives.
Holdings
by Repository Type (in thousands of cubic or linear feet)
|
State
|
Hist. Soc.
|
Academic
|
Pub. Lib.
|
Museum
|
Originating
Institution
|
|
Illinois*
|
110.8***
|
119.0
|
6.5
|
21.4
|
36.1
|
|
New York
|
29.5
|
124.4
|
8.4
|
30.5
|
31.4
|
|
Ohio
|
42.1
|
116.2
|
5.6
|
28.4
|
24.8
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
114.0
|
96.0
|
1.1
|
9.7
|
7.2
|
|
Michigan
|
21.0
|
133.2
|
9.3
|
15.3
|
17.5
|
|
Florida
|
3.2
|
21.4
|
1.3
|
.1
|
.1
|
|
***
|
Illinois figure includes the State Archives. Given the
mixture of historical society and museum
classifications, Illinois still trails Pennsylvania in
local records repository holdings reported. |
Other charts in the 1996 COSHRC
report show acquisition policies, types of records held,
collection subject areas, disaster plans, and preservation
activities. For a copy of the survey form, see Appendix
A.
|
Appendix A is provided in a
PDF (Portable Document Format) file, which can be viewed
or printed using your Web browser and Adobe's Acrobat
Reader software. Macintosh and Windows versions of Acrobat
Reader may be downloaded free of charge from Adobe.
|
Strategic plans for Michigan, New
York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin have listed
priorities. The terms of the NHPRC grants emphasized public
support of the state boards, cooperation, conservation, education,
electronic records, and regrants of federal funds. The results
also reflected some of the major issues confronting agencies that
administer historical records.
|
Program
activity
|
# of
states
|
| 1. |
advocacy and
support, or public education |
5 |
| 2. |
conservation,
or preservation |
4 |
| 3. |
public access
and use |
4 |
| 4. |
electronic
records |
4 |
| 5. |
professional
education |
4 |
| 6. |
cooperation,
or partnerships |
3 |
| 7. |
leadership |
3 |
| 8. |
collection
policies and strategies |
2 |
| 9. |
regrants |
2 |
A strategic plan for Illinois
required a further analysis of the updated COSHRC data. Applying
the size categories given in the definitions, Illinois has 16
major stakeholders, 30 large stakeholders, and 204 small
stakeholders. A type of institution breakdown gives:
|
Type
of Institution
|
Major
|
Large
|
Small
|
|
Academic
|
6
|
13
|
17
|
|
Corporate/business
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
|
Government
|
3
|
0
|
5
|
|
Historical society
|
1
|
6
|
65
|
|
Library
|
1
|
2
|
61
|
|
Museum
|
0
|
4
|
44
|
|
Religious
|
2
|
4
|
8
|
|
Research
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
| |
15 |
32 |
204 |
The data in the 1996 survey and a
1999 follow-up did not provide a complete picture of historical
records in Illinois. While 251 responses from a mailing of more
than a thousand questionnaires was a good return, they did not
include Illinois State University, Lake Forest College,
Caterpillar, Motorola, and the Museum of Science and Industry.
There were also many borderline cases between large and small
stakeholders, and between types of institutions. Both very large
academic institutions and very small local historical societies
and museums have major functions that do not relate to the
retention of historical records. Budget figures were difficult to
evaluate. Smaller stakeholders often served proprietary
educational needs. Some state plans have limited the scope of
their reports to public records that are accessible with only
statutory restrictions. In Illinois, this would be a major
deficiency. We have an excellent state archival program that
provides its resources to nearly 900,000 people a year. However,
significant portions of our documentary heritage are held by
academic institutions, private historical societies, corporations
and religious bodies that are not subject to statutory provisions
relating to public access.
Based on the updated 1996 data, the
major historical records repositories are:
| Repository |
Linear/Cubic
Feet
|
|
Illinois State Archives
|
70,000
|
|
NARA Chicago Region
|
64,100
|
|
Univ. of Illinois at
Chicago
|
23,500
|
|
Univ. of Chicago
|
21,000
|
|
Univ. of Illinois at
Urbana
|
18,000
|
|
Chicago Historical
Society
|
17,726
|
|
Southern Illinois
Univ.-Carbondale
|
16,820
|
|
Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency
|
15,050
|
|
Archdiocese of Chicago
|
12,000
|
|
Northwestern University
|
10,000
|
|
Deere & Company
|
10,000
|
|
Billy Graham Center,
Wheaton College
|
6,507
|
|
Northern Illinois
University
|
6,500
|
|
Newberry Library
|
6,000
|
|
Chicago Public Library
|
4,667
|
|
Kraft Foods
|
3,1003
|
The distribution of holdings by
repository type is:
|
Government
|
149,150
|
|
Academic
|
102,300
|
|
Religious
|
23,469
|
|
Historical Society
|
17,700
|
|
Business
|
13,100
|
|
Library
|
10,700
|
Major repositories have their own
strategic plans, but as a matter of public policy, institutions
should look for ways in which they can identify with and support
other repositories. Publicity and sharing electronic information
may be legitimate goals. The higher educational community is a
major provider and consumer of historical information. Academic
institutions include entrepreneurs and image builders who are not
likely candidates for cooperative ventures or statewide
coordination for NHPRC funding. The most effective strategy for
working with major repositories would involve simple, low-cost
programs that offer tangible benefits to participants.
The responses to the 1996 survey's
"most pressing problem" question shows:
| Problem |
Large
|
Medium
|
Small
|
Total
|
|
Staff
|
8
|
10
|
59
|
77
|
|
Space
|
5
|
4
|
64
|
73
|
|
Processing Backlog
|
2
|
1
|
22
|
25
|
|
Preservation/Environment
|
2
|
|
18
|
20
|
|
Finding Aids & Guides
|
2
|
3
|
9
|
14
|
|
Electronic Equipment
|
1
|
2
|
9
|
12
|
|
Appraisal &
Management
|
|
3
|
3
|
6
|
|
Interest &
Understanding
|
|
1
|
5
|
6
|
The common responses of
"funding" and "money" were omitted because
financial support is necessary for all of the eight problems
listed. Processing backlog is a result of lack of staff. Space and
environment also overlap. The survey responses from small
repositories (83% of the total) reveal their positions. Needs? -
"Money" and "Everything".
The Association of Illinois Museums
and Historical Societies publishes an annual list of historical
and cultural agencies and museums. It is difficult to categorize
many agencies because a historical society often has a
genealogical reference library, a museum or historic site, as well
as archival or manuscripts material. A breakdown of the 1,053
institutions by type shows:
|
Historical societies
|
29%
|
|
Genealogical societies
|
6.8%
|
|
Archives and special
collections
|
2%
|
| |
37.8% |
| |
|
|
Museums
|
21%
|
|
Historic sites,
structures, monuments and memorials
|
13.7%
|
|
Preservation
organizations
|
4.2%
|
| |
38.9% |
| |
|
|
Art galleries, humanities
groups
|
7.9%
|
|
Educational,
environmental, nature, and scientific organizations
|
4.8%
|
|
Convention, tourist &
visitors bureaus
|
3.5%
|
|
Libraries
|
2.7%
|
|
Foundations &
professional associations
|
1.8%
|
|
Other
|
2.6%
|
| |
23.3%4 |
With around 400 historical and
genealogical societies, Illinois has the historical records
infrastructure. A historical records policy should facilitate easy
access to public and private records in either published or
unpublished formats.
- Cooperation
Statewide cooperation is
essential for an effective program to assist historical records
repositories. State agencies and records repositories must
perceive common interests and benefits in improving the
establishment, organization, and communication between
repositories, and promoting access to, and use of, the
historical records in their custody.
Historical research is a dynamic
process involving human relationships. It is not an easy area
for establishing official or professional control or planning.
Attempts to coordinate historical records collections would be
difficult, and probably unwise. The diversity and shifting
responsibilities of historical records agencies may also
preclude the adoption of uniform standards that are applicable
to all types and sizes of public and private institutions. Our
economic, political and social institutions and structures are
not well-suited for a unitary system based on budgeted federal
grants and state regrants.
- Illinois
State Historical Records Advisory Board
The State Archives Advisory Board
is authorized under Section 160/22a of the State Records Act. It
is appointed by the Secretary of State and includes
representatives of eight types of institutions and four public
members. Under Section 160/22b, it makes recommendations on
general policies for the State Archives, budget policies for
annual appropriations and "policies for federal funded
programs". By agreement between the Governor and the
Secretary of State, the Archives Advisory Board also functions
as the State Historical Records Advisory Board in dealing with
the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. In
practice, board members are usually from larger institutions
with interests and clienteles similar to those of the State
Archives. If the Board is to become a more active advocate for
historical records in the state, it would need statutory
authority for the promotion of the mutual interests of all types
of historical records repositories. It should also develop
closer relationships with archives, historic sites, historical
societies, genealogical societies, and library special
collections that hold historical records, and a system for
communication among repositories holding public and private
historical records. As presently constituted, the Board does not
have the financial resources and staff for statewide
communicating, facilitating and coordinating. The diversity of
the present membership of the Board and its relationships with
the State Archives and State Records Commissions would require
minor changes if it were to assume a larger role in promoting
the preservation of historical records.
Legislation should be secured to
change the name of the Board to the State Archives and State
Historical Records Advisory Board (SASHRAB), with responsibility
for
- promotion of the development
and use of historical records repositories, including
archives, historical societies, genealogical societies,
library special collections, and historical agencies holding
research documentation.
- facilitation of the exchange
of information on professional standards, programs of mutual
interest and electronic access to historical records.
- review of applications for
federal and other program development assistance.
Membership of a Board with
additional responsibilities could include a
- member of the State Records
Commission*
- member of a Local Records
Commission*
- member of a local historical
society or museum*
- university archivist*
- person in the field of higher
education specializing in history or political science*
- person in the field of
secondary education specializing in history or civics*
- genealogist*
- research or reference
librarian*
- person who is employed or
engaged as an archivist by a business establishment*
- archivist for a professional
or religious association
- public member from Cook County
- public member from downstate
*Current membership requirement
by Section 160/22a of the State Records Act. The total
membership remains the same, but educators (e and f) are divided
into higher and secondary education, and j through l are
"public members" with more specific qualifications.
The Director of the State Library
and the State Historian would continue to serve as ex-officio,
nonvoting members. The Director of the Illinois State Archives
should be the secretary and administrative officer for the
Board.
As an initial step, the Board
should ask the State Archives to use the COSHRC survey data to
establish a statewide data system for historical records
repositories. In this respect, it should follow the British
Historical Manuscripts Commission's National Archives Register
model and maintain an Illinois register as a central file and a
posting on an Internet website:
- list of historical records
repositories, showing name of repository, location, types of
holdings, contact numbers, hours that the facility is open,
and guides and websites.
- list of organizations and
associations whose records are held by historical records
repositories.
- list of collections or records
series, showing repository, title, dates, volume and
availability of a finding aid. The list should also indicate
when copies of records in microfilm and electronic formats
are available. As a long-range objective, a state register
would simplify access. Few researchers choose to read
printed guides or wade through national databases. In the
short run, the listings should be selective, e.g. personal
papers, organizational records and official institutional
records and publications at the record group level.
The Board should promote
cooperative relationships with national, regional, and state
archival, cultural, genealogical, information management and
historical agencies and associations. It should be located in
the Illinois State Archives, which can provide the most
effective support for a statewide development program. A state
assistance program for historical records repositories should
coordinate its work with the State Archives’ Illinois Regional
Archives Depository (IRAD) system, community colleges, regional
library systems and professional associations. It should
schedule an open meeting with representatives of Illinois
historical records repositories before the spring Midwest
Archives Conference meeting. To carry out its responsibilities,
the Board should have a staff of two or three persons and an
office in the State Archives, with access to the IRAD staff.
- Illinois
State Archives
The Illinois State Archives has
made significant progress since the 1982 report. With broad
statutory responsibility for all sources and types of public
records, it has promoted proper custodial standards. A
comprehensive guide to archival holdings is available in CD-ROM
format. Since 1982, reference usage has increased from 75,000 to
893,000, largely due to a sharp rise in Internet contacts.
Internet access also brings increased on-site usage. The
Archives has played a leading role among state archival
agencies. It has excellent relationships with the Illinois
Genealogical Society.
The implementation of a statewide
plan for historical records will require the continued
leadership of the Illinois State Archives. For seventy-seven
years, Illinois has been fortunate in having leadership with
sound educational preparation, practical experience, and a
commitment to archival theory and practice coupled with an
ability to innovate. It is of paramount importance that the
Director of the State Archives will continue to have a broad and
practical view of archives as information resources in the
twenty-first century. Any increase in the Board's
responsibilities will require strong leadership and increased
professional staffing in the Illinois State Archives.
The Illinois Regional Archival
Depository system covers the entire state. IRAD usage has
increased from 2,170 in 1987 to 7,786 in 1998. Seven
depositories in academic institutions hold about 8,300 cubic
feet of county and local records and 14,200 rolls of microfilm
copies. The system is most effective in the county in which the
depository is located. Forty-one counties have placed less than
10 cubic feet in the IRAD, fifteen have deposited only
microfilm, and one has placed no records. Since its
establishment in 1988, the IRAD at Northeastern Illinois State
University has made rapid progress. It is now first in holdings
and second in usage. Until the City of Chicago and Cook County
establish their own archives, the IRAD will continue to be
responsible for public records in the city and county.
Comparison of IRAD area size and
records holdings:
| Depository |
Population |
Counties |
Holdings |
|
Chicago
|
5,076,800
|
1
|
4,247
|
|
DeKalb
|
3,245,700
|
18
|
3,807
|
|
Carbondale
|
1,030,600
|
23
|
3,607
|
|
Bloomington
|
854,700
|
14
|
3,585
|
|
Macomb
|
688,300
|
16
|
3,764
|
|
Springfield
|
565,500
|
14
|
3,230
|
|
Charleston
|
306,000
|
16
|
1,598
|
Per capita usage of holdings by
IRAD areas has been:
|
Springfield
|
.00295
|
|
Charleston
|
.00163
|
|
Carbondale
|
.00162
|
|
Macomb
|
.00156
|
|
Bloomington
|
.00071
|
|
Chicago
|
.00032
|
|
DeKalb
|
.00022
|
The directory of Historical
and Cultural Agencies and Museums in Illinois, 1998-1999
listed 459 locations that held or used historical records. The
1996-99 COSHRC survey produced 251 responses. The following
table shows their distribution among IRAD areas.
|
Historical
& Cultural Agencies-1998
|
COSHRC-1996-99
|
|
Depository
|
Hist. Soc.
|
Geneal.
|
Archives
|
Hist. Sites
|
Total
|
Responses
|
|
Chicago
|
78
|
7
|
12
|
2
|
99
|
70
|
|
DeKalb
|
88
|
19
|
7
|
6
|
120
|
53
|
|
Carbondale
|
31
|
14
|
6
|
9
|
60
|
25
|
|
Bloomington
|
32
|
10
|
8
|
0
|
50
|
35
|
|
Macomb
|
35
|
13
|
7
|
6
|
61
|
35
|
|
Springfield
|
20
|
11
|
3
|
8
|
42
|
20
|
|
Charleston
|
15
|
10
|
0
|
2
|
27
|
13
|
|
TOTAL
|
299
|
84
|
43
|
33
|
459
|
251
|
The regional depository system
has functioned well in providing archival custody for county and
local public records and microfilm copies. Expanding the IRADs'
responsibilities to include private records and papers could
provide professional archival supervision in areas where no
repository is available and strengthen existing regional centers
for genealogical and historical research. It would also require
the agreement and cooperation of state agencies, academic
institutions and private societies which have extensive holdings
of private records, e.g. Illinois Historic Preservation Agency,
University of Illinois and Chicago Historical Society. An
initial approach could secure legislation permitting regional
and local historical and genealogical organizations to deposit
records they have created or received in an IRAD.
- Financial
support of historical records repositories
Historical records repositories
need an adequate and flexible source of program funding, e.g.
public funds (taxes), endowments, fees, contracts, gifts and
grants. For most repositories, innovative fund-raising and
financial stability are more important objectives than winning a
grant competition. In this context, matching grants and
endowment income for basic activities should be explored.
The National Endowment for the
Humanities (NEH) and the National Historical Publications and
Records Commission have provided grants to promote access to,
and use of, historical records:
|
Recipient
|
NEH,
1980-95
|
NHPRC,
1976-98
|
Total
|
|
Cook County institutions
|
$3,723,544
|
$ 421,631
|
$ 4,145,175
|
|
Downstate institutions
|
479,248
|
195,290
|
674,538
|
|
Soc. of American Archivists
|
1,939,899
|
468,000
|
2,407,899
|
|
University Presses
|
|
1,976,656
|
1,976,656
|
|
Daley Documentary/Dirksen
Center
|
700,174
|
2,000,000
|
2,700,174
|
| |
$6,842,865 |
$5,061,577 |
$11,904,442 |
From 1980 to 1995, the National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) made 1,560 grants for the
promotion of the humanities to Illinois institutions and
individuals amounting to $99,507,291. Faculty and administrative
personnel received most of the grants for research, writing and
publication. Sizeable sums were also provided for conferences,
exhibits and workshops to promote humanistic studies and the
appreciation of the humanities. In addition to these subsidies
and subventions of the academic and public users of archives and
libraries, the Illinois Humanities Commission may have regranted
some support to a few local historical records repositories.
Archival and historical records projects were less than 7% of
the total grants. Project descriptions did not permit an exact
apportionment of the amount of some grants to major institutions
that was spent for archival and historical records activities.
The deletion of $1,050,000 for exhibits and $500,000 for
building renovation at the Chicago Historical Society and
$1,000,000 for staffing at the Newberry Library would reduce the
total granted to Cook County institutions to $1,173,544. Of the
$6,842,965 granted to Illinois, 28% went to the Society of
American Archivists for national programs, primarily a
preservation education program. Of the remaining $4,903,066, 81%
went to the Chicago Historical Society, Newberry Library and
Illinois State Historical Library. The grants went for exhibits
(36%), processing (23%), staffing (20.4%), building improvements
(10.2%) and preservation (6.3%).
In the past twenty-three years,
NHPRC support has not been a major factor in the development of
Illinois historical records repositories. Ten archival
institutions have received seventeen records project grants
amounting to $616,921. Of this sum, five "major
stakeholders" received $479,077. Institutions outside of
Cook County received $195,290, or $8,490 a year, or $84.90 per
county. Eight publications project grants amounting to
$1,976,656 went to three universities. Most of this money went
to presses as publication subventions. A 1995 directed project
provided $2,000,000 for the Dirksen Center. An additional
$468,000 went to the national office of the Society of American
Archivists located in Chicago. Neither the NEH nor the NHPRC has
been a significant source of funding for most Illinois archives
and historical records programs.
Major stakeholders, or research
institutions have adequate budgets, staff and space for existing
operations. They also have the development personnel and grant
proposal writers to secure additional funding. The Chicago
Historical Society, Newberry Library, Illinois State Historical
Society, Illinois State Archives and University of Illinois
Archives have benefited from grants to strengthen existing
programs or launch new ones, such as the Illinois Regional
Archival Depositories and the American Library Association
Archives. The grant system has stimulated user demands for
historical records without providing commensurate support for
programs to enable archives and historical agencies to meet the
demands.
If a significant amount of money
were available for a regrant program, the ISHRAB could announce
a broad program of competitive incentive funding for state
archival, information management and preservation organizations.
Large historical records repositories in academic institutions
and the Chicago area should not compete in the same grant pool
with repositories that do not have a full-time staff for the
historical records program. A data base listing Illinois
historical records repositories should be established to
facilitate the evaluation of grant applications. It should be
designed to function for both public and private sectors, and
accommodate the variety of conditions and missions of small
collections. It should also be organized by type and size of
repository, and list objectives and plans, budget, staffing,
holdings, and use. As independent sources of this information,
they would provide an objective basis for evaluating grant
proposals, which often emphasize a major exhibit, processing
challenge, or preservation problem. All grants should require a
final published report stating the results. The most effective
grant for many small repositories might be a pamphlet and
videotape package on planning, archival procedures, publicity,
and fund raising.
An objective of the NHPRC's
records project grants and the state Board's regrants should be
the encouragement of the development of institutional archives.
Grants to state boards and regrants to local institutions can
direct funds to local repositories. To affect public support for
historical records programs, projects need to attract broad
public attention and appreciation. They would need adequate
funding, persuasive applications, matching funds, and final
reports of accomplishments to accomplish this objective.
Semi-annual awards and feedback on unsuccessful proposals would
stimulate applications and improve their quality. The initiative
should be local. Consultation should be in the form of prompt
helpful responses. Grants should be available for the
arrangement, description and housing of records that are kept in
secure locations and are accessible to researchers.
Effective outreach can enable
historical records repositories to raise their own funds. The
McLean County Historical Society has raised $500,000 from a
private source and the Vermilion County Museum has raised
$1,000,000 in donations. State support for local museums in
fiscal 1999 was $15,000,000. Archival budgets provide the
support for the acquisition, description and preservation of the
documentation essential for understanding the significance of
artifacts.5
Aside from federal grants and a
few private foundations, institutions holding historical records
are funded by local institutional appropriations and campaigns.
If public policy called for meaningful support of all historical
records programs, a system should be established for the
equitable distribution of funds to all programs based on
institutional capabilities and needs. A state historical records
foundation could seek and receive private and corporate funding
for block grants based on classification systems and resources.
The Illinois Research Information Service at the University of
Illinois in Urbana has data on foundations supporting archival
and historical records programs. The Lilly Foundation grants in
Indiana have been a significant factor in the development of
historical interests.
- Publicity
and Advocacy
Public support for historical
records programs is essential. Public appreciation is the key to
the continued support of the institutions responsible for their
retention. Historical records repositories need to be teachers,
as well as providers, of the past. Competitors should cooperate
to extend and diversify the demand for their services. The
general public's interest in historical documentation is
limited. While it may be stimulated by genealogical involvement
or a local commemorative event, it is seldom a sustained
commitment and rarely includes institutions in which the
individual citizen is not a participant.
The Illinois State Archives
should maintain a semi-annual newsletter and a Web site for
communication with Illinois historical records agencies,
archivists, and historians. From 1978 to 1991, the Archives' For
the Record provided excellent coverage of state archival
programs. A new publication could include state archival news,
ISHRAB and NHPRC items relating to Illinois, features on types
of archives, lists of archival meetings and continuing education
opportunities, and stories on archival institutions. Smaller
than the old archival issues of Illinois Libraries, the
newsletter and an electronic version for the Web would be a
valuable cultural service to the state.
People involved in settling
estates often find historically significant material, which may
be destroyed, sold at yard sales, or wind up in the
"ephemera" section of used book stores and antique
shops. A leaflet should be issued to acquaint lawyers and estate
sale agents with the importance of historical records, emphasize
the goals and benefits of institutional cooperation and promote
the usage of historical records by all user clienteles.
Exhibits provide an excellent
means of reaching the public in shopping malls, public
buildings, transportation facilities, tourist centers, academic
buildings, and public events such as fairs and community
"days". All public displays should identify the
archival and manuscripts sources and their locations.
The State of Illinois spends
almost $50 million a year in advertising its tourist
attractions. Much of this material employs the terms
"historic", "heritage" and
"historically significant". The state would profit by
investing ten per cent of its tourism budget in documenting,
understanding, validating and promoting the availability of its
cultural source material.6
History fairs for school children
are effective ways for introducing students to the use of source
materials in historical exhibits and writing. Those who major in
history in college or take graduate work also acquire some
knowledge of historical research. Aside from genealogists and a
few investigative reporters, adults have little direct
acquaintance with the use of historical records. Cook, DuPage
and Lake counties have 143 historical records repositories,
history fairs and academic and historical societies. The other
99 counties average 3.17 historical and genealogical societies,
archives, library collections and historic sites. They should
join in annual community history fairs, where they could
demonstrate the services they provide to the citizens and
students in the county. By explaining how records are acquired,
processed, kept and used to produce credible accounts of the
past, such fairs would be a necessary complement to
commemorative history days, museum exhibits, house tours,
pageants, and newspaper and television features.
Archives and historical records
repositories face major challenges in educating the public about
the importance of documentary sources. The understanding and
interpretation of our cultural heritage is a vital process and a
shared responsibility. Our past is much more than commercial
representations, video documentaries, newspaper feature
articles, and local historical museums and sites. The selection
and retention of evidence for academic study, entertainment or
tourism requires planned archival programs and continued
financial support. A statewide public service advertising
campaign for historical records, supported by exhibits and
speakers could be a higher priority investment than specific
institutional grants.
- Relationships
with the User Community
The most important historical
records needs are those of the users. The demands of popular,
professional, private and public history dictate institutional
policies and priorities. Use is the primary indication of value
and the basis for effective publicity. The measurement of the
value and amount of usage by Internet "hits",
printouts, phone calls, letters, visits and materials used
should be required in any requests for funding. Though less
meaningful for statistical analysis, access is an essential
precondition for use. Unnecessary access restrictions may limit
the use of public and private records. The State Archives should
monitor legislative restrictions on public access and
technological advances that facilitate access through the
dissemination of electronic records. The Advisory Board should
work closely with user constituencies such as the Illinois
Museum and Cultural Agency Association, Illinois Genealogical
Society and Illinois State Historical Society.
Online archival databases are
heavily used. Most popular are indexes or finding aids that
permit the viewer to order documents from the archives. Such
requests can generate considerable revenue and offset much of
the substantial costs involved in entering, scanning, proofing
and posting the data. Listings of landowners, alumni, clergy and
county history biographies could be developed to produce
additional usage and funding. In a few instances, high demand or
educational usage may permit placing selected original documents
on websites.7
Use is the major concern in a
strategic plan. Legislators and resource allocators are aware
that user clienteles vote. Small repositories need to know how
to organize and motivate user support. Increased usage may be an
unwelcome annoyance for those who hold public or private
records. The Board should consider the problems that increased
usage causes for small volunteer, non-professional agencies, and
small public offices. If repositories at all levels are to
provide proper care, they need to motivate, organize and manage
user support for funding.
- Relationships
with records creators and information managers
Records creators are records
users and in both capacities they have supported archival
programs to make cultural resources available for future use.
For the last fifty years, records managers and information
managers have aided records creators in applying systems and
technologies to improve the quality and control the volume of
recorded information. They are most active in large corporate
and governmental institutions and can facilitate the systematic
transfer of information to an archives. Agencies holding
historical records should maintain organizational contacts,
cooperative programs, and regular communications with them.
State economic development and
tourism agencies, the Board of Higher Education, financial and
manufacturing associations and Association of Records Managers
and Administrators chapters should be informed of the importance
of historical records and the work of the Board.
- Archival
education
Archival education has been
recognized as a national concern for more than twenty-five
years. A 1973 conference of archival educators met in Ann Arbor
and reached a general agreement on curricular content. A similar
conference has been announced for the Pittsburgh Society of
American Archivists meeting in 1999. In the intervening
twenty-six years, graduate archival education has made some
progress at specific locations and times, but academic programs
have been reactive and regional. The two most ambitious efforts
at Michigan and Texas have been funded by Mellon Foundation
grants and an endowed chair. Programs at Maryland, New York, and
U.C.L.A. have benefited from their proximity to major archival
employers. Affiliation with professional education in library
and information science has not produced sufficient support for
full-time faculty and curricular development. As archival
education does not fit into traditional academic disciplines
such as history, law, and library and information science,
endowments may be the answer. It is unlikely that the United
States will support the type of national archival education
programs that exist in France, Germany, Great Britain and
Russia. Given the diversity and dispersion of American archival
programs, European models may be impractical. On the positive
side, financial insecurity has stimulated the entrepreneurial
skills of adjunct faculty who find ways to teach graduate
courses on archives, while carrying out their archival
responsibilities. Graduate single course offerings have good
enrollments, but do not provide adequate preparation for
professional archival responsibilities.8
National and regional
professional associations have provided publications,
conferences and meetings, cooperative actions, and short-term
continuing education. The S.A.A. continuing education workshops
in specific areas have enabled archivists to obtain basic
introductions to types of archival practice and updates on
technological applications. The Academy of Certified Archivists'
examination has provided a minimum competency level. Internships
and grant-supported projects have afforded opportunities to gain
job experience.
The major needs in archival
education are graduate academic programs on the history, theory,
administration and use of archival and manuscript materials, and
basic educational materials designed for part-time employees,
non-professionals and volunteers. The academic program should
cover the administration, authentication, appraisal,
arrangement, description, physical preservation and research use
of original source materials. Staff needs in small repositories
require access to low-cost information resources, such as audio
and videotapes, websites and loose-leaf basic manuals. Given the
turnover in all types of archival institutions, and the special
needs of small programs staffed by volunteers, training
videotapes could be a grant funding priority. A website should
provide basic information on archival procedures, supplies and
preservation.
- Preservation
Nearly all physical formats that
carry information tend to rot, degrade, or disintegrate over
time. The lack of knowledge or indifference of records creators
and custodians has compounded the problem. This tendency has
given rise to grants, research, and institutional programs to
restore, preserve, and conserve the original documents.
Environmental controls and secure retention facilities will
remain high priorities.
Control of ambient temperature,
humidity, and air quality may ameliorate the problem, but the
sheer volume of documentary information has limited the
effectiveness of such costly, labor-intensive solutions as
binding, mending, deacidification, lamination and encapsulation.
Documentary preservation activities will continue to be limited
by the shortage of funds.
Copying preserves and protects
historical records and disseminates their informational content.
Appraisal to determine "intrinsic value" may identify
information and formats that should receive priority attention.
Despite the survival of some ancient shards and scrolls, most of
the information from the distant past has come from copies. The
millions of cubic feet of nineteenth and twentieth century
information that have been retained in archives should be
appraised for copying into formats that can be reproduced
periodically at minimal cost. Inscriptions and optical etchings
may replace microfilm and electronic copying as the means of
preserving information that has long-term value. Organized
copying is the best preservation practice for large quantities
of information having cultural value.
The rapid changes in electronic
technologies pose a major threat to the survival of audiovisual
archives. As no single non-profit institution is likely to meet
this challenge, Illinois should participate in a regional
program to provide a central location for the technical services
and equipment required for the use of information recorded in
noncurrent technologies.
- Electronic
records
The extensive adoption of
electronic records-keeping systems has raised questions about
the authentication, appraisal, description, preservation and use
of archival holdings. Archivists have mucked through NUCMC, spun
with SPINDEX, marked with MARC and coded with EAD. The future
will bring new information technologies, software packages,
updates and professional standards. The challenge to
institutions holding historical records is to operate a system
that is appropriate to their financial and staffing resources.
At a general level, such a system should enable them to
disseminate and share information about the scope and content of
their holdings in a format that is readily accessible to the
public. For smaller repositories, a basic program for the
intellectual control of their holdings should be a priority. The
emphasis on elaborate national standards for descriptive control
in large repositories that are featured in professional
conferences and workshops is not appropriate for institutions
holding less than 100 cubic feet of records.9
All historical records
repositories should have ready access to electronic
communications and records keeping systems. The Internet and
e-mail provide means of rapid communication and publication, and
ready access to advertising and opinions. Brochures, bulletins,
newsletters and reports relating to the administrative,
educational and professional concerns of archivists and
manuscripts curators should be issued in electronic formats.
Repositories should also report holdings and user information,
which can be accessed through a statewide standardized
descriptive system. Communications systems should move beyond
statewide "chat rooms" to provide ready access to
useful information.
The 1998 Illinois Electronic
Commerce Security Act contained sweeping language concerning
filing of electronic records with state agencies "to
advance private and public sector commerce." Section 5-105
extends applicability to the records of the legislative and
judicial branches of government. Section 5-135 (a) (3) provided
that "the authenticity and integrity of the
information...is retained." Section 10-135 authorized the
Secretary of State and State Archivist "to certify security
procedures" according to "commercial
reasonableness" (Section 10-115 (a)) and industry standards
(Section 10-135 (2) (b)). The act demonstrated that questions
relating to electronic records cannot be handled by declarations
that postings on the Web are "official records".
Reformatting, enforcement of regulations, preservation of
digital records, and long-term access could become added burdens
for the State Archives. If the Secretary of State does not have
the staff or financial support to comply with the provisions of
this act, a complex problem could easily become an "unfunded
mandate". The 1998 amendment of the Local Records Act
provided that both digital and microfilm formats of permanent or
archival records will be retained. The State Archives Advisory
Board should recommend that any electronic records legislation
pertaining to public records should be incorporated in, or
related to, the State Records Act.10
- Conclusion
Whether they are acquired by
collection or archival appraisal, historical records form the
basis for our understanding and interpretation of the past.
Users of historical records have received a far greater amount
of public funding than the archivists who select and preserve
the records of the past. Conventional funding programs have
sometimes operated like a tax code that has enabled the rich to
become richer. One school of thought maintains that financial
aid should be given to larger archives and historical agencies,
which have professional staff, and the facilities and equipment
that meet professional standards. These large repositories or
major "stakeholders" may also hold the records of many
associations, firms, individuals and organizations. Another
school of thought holds that financial assistance should be
provided to smaller repositories, which have a special interest
in preserving and using information about their heritage and
have closer ties to potential donors and users.
A strategic plan requires
prioritization. A three step approach would include:
- Establishment of an attractive
statewide data system identifying historical records
repositories, and providing a means for communication with
them and responding to inquiries for information on funding,
staffing, processing, preservation and space utilization. It
could be based on the COSHRC and NHPRC Guide data. An annual
or biennial electronic mailing of entries to institutions
could provide updates and publicity opportunities.
- Preparation in the near future
of a documented report advocating a statewide responsibility
for the development of historical records repositories.
Community events and commemorations, educational projects,
genealogical research, academic studies and tourism require
access to historical records. The state should assist
holders of historical records by enabling them to meet
organizational goals and improve the quality of their public
service. Institutions holding archives and manuscripts need
help in promoting increased public appreciation and support
for historic activities and historical records keeping. Some
of the support for advertising the historic significance of
Illinois communities should be allocated to filling in the
gaps in our knowledge of that history. The Board should
prepare legislation to accomplish this purpose and secure
the endorsement and sponsorship of the Governor, Secretary
of State and legislative leadership for the adoption of
legislation to broaden the Board's responsibilities and
provide for a small staff based in the Illinois State
Archives to carry them out.
- Promotion of long-term fund
raising from private and public sources to meet
institutional needs and support specific projects.
Historical records are unique cultural assets. It is good
public policy to assist the holders of these records by
maximizing their use.
The task of rescuing and
upgrading historical records repositories or stakeholders is a
daunting one. Descriptions of model operations, financial
pipelines, incentive grants, educational offerings, and
descriptive publications all have their places, and their
limitations. All institutions from the professionally-staffed
majors down to the volunteers caring for items stored in an
abandoned store need to "do it" themselves. The
challenges are to acquaint the public with the value of
historical records, to secure statewide cooperation in
addressing the needs of historical records holders, to motivate
volunteers and contributors, and to stimulate the user demand
for a knowledge of our collective and individual pasts.
Education, advocacy, funding, and usage are the keys.
Grants to exemplary programs and
the dissemination of guidelines and standards are helpful, but
are not as effective as direct statewide assistance for all
historical records programs. Providing professional support and
financial resources for community-based historical records
repositories are more effective public investments than
publicized enshrinements of prominent persons and specific
events in major historical agencies and institutions. New
information technologies should be applied to the organization
and delivery of assistance and resources to historical records
repositories.
Footnotes
| 1 |
Illinois
Historical Records Advisory Board, Application for
Federal Assistance, Project 1-20, May 12, 1998,
1993-43; Council of State Historical Records Coordinators,
The NHPRC Planning Initiative An Evaluation,
(January 1999) 15.
|
| 2 |
Victoria I.
Walch, comp., Where History Begins, A Report on
Historical Records Repositories in the United States,
(Council of State Historical Records Coordinators, May
1998).
|
| 3 |
The best general
descriptions of major Illinois repositories are in John
Hoffmann. ed., A Guide to the History of Illinois,
(New York: Greenwood Press, 1991), 205-306.
|
| 4 |
Karen E.
Everingham, comp., Historical and Cultural Agencies and
Museums in Illinois, 1998-1999, (Springfield:
Association of Illinois Museums and Historical Societies
and Illinois State Historical Society, 1998).
|
| 5 |
"Vermilion
Museum Drive Tops $1 Million", Champaign-Urbana
News-Gazette, April 10, 1999; "Museums display
thanks for funding from state", Champaign-Urbana
News-Gazette, May 19, 1999.
|
| 6 |
Illinois
Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Bureau of
Tourism, Illinois Weekend Escapes get a million miles
from monday, Spring 1999; "Illinois a top spender
in tourism promotion", Champaign-Urbana
News-Gazette, July 18, 1999.
|
| 7 |
538,750 Illinois
Public Domain Land Sales are available on the Internet as
are about 100,000 pages of Ohio Death Certificates,
1913-1937. For the Record, (Winter 1995) 15:1:1; MAC
Newsletter, (April 1999) 26:4:16.
|
| 8 |
In the 1967-99
period, over 400 graduate students took archival course
offerings at the University of Illinois.
|
| 9 |
Daniel V. Pitti,
"Encoded Archival Description: The Development of an
Encoded Standard for Archival Finding Aids" in The
American Archivist (Summer 1997) 60:3:268.
|
| 10 |
George H. Ryan, State
Records Act and State Records Commission Rules (1995);
Illinois Electronic Commerce Security Act (1998). |
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