NHPRC Regrant Progress Report January 2005 - June 2007

NHPRC Circuit-Rider Archivist Regrant Grant No. 2005-016
Grant Period January 2005 - September 2007
Interim Narrative Report for July - December 2006

Background

The Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board (GHRAB) sought and obtained a $125,624 grant from NHPRC to:

• Provide the services of an on-site professional archivist and regrants to Georgia repositories and local governments to improve their archival programs.
• Demonstrate how the services of a traveling professional archivist can benefit small repositories and local governments thus making grant programs more effective.
• Stimulate the development of a master's level program to educate professional archivists.

Due to a delay in hiring the Circuit-Rider Archivist, GHRAB sought and obtained a grant extension from NHPRC to September 30, 2007.

Circuit-Rider Archivist Activities

The circuit rider archivist continued to assist recipients of Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board Historical Records Projects Grants during the second half of 2006. He provided on-site advising to Bryan-Lang Historical Library in Camden County, Richmond Hill Historical Society in Bryan County, the Girl Scout Council of Savannah/Girl Scout First Headquarters Museum and Program Center in Chatham County, and the Upson Historical Society in Upson County and provided further consultation for Cook County Historical Society, a grant recipient which he visited previously. In addition, he has answered questions on an ongoing basis about archival facility needs in the renovation of the Girl Scout headquarters in Savannah.

The working relationship that the circuit rider archivist established during the first round of visits continued to develop. Through e-mail support groups, he shared information about funding and training opportunities. He also consulted by e-mail or telephone with Rome Area History Museum in Floyd County, Aragon Historical Society in Polk County, Washington Historical Museum in Wilkes County, Columbia County Government, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History in Richmond County, Meriwether County Probate Court and Superior Court, and Effingham County Board of Education about ongoing projects. The circuit rider archivist made a site visit to Meriwether County Probate Court and Superior Court to give further on-site advice.

In August, the circuit rider archivist joined with Elizabeth Barr, assistant coordinator of the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board; Judge Stiles Estes of the Meriwether County Probate Court, and Louise Garrett, clerk of the Meriwether County Superior Court, for a panel presentation at the joint meeting of the Council of State Archivists, National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators, and Society of American Archivists on the circuit rider archivist program. Reactions to the session included a request from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas for advice and background information for possible development of a program in Nevada similar to the circuit rider archivist program. Also, following the session, the director of the King Library and Archives at the King Center in Atlanta asked the circuit rider archivist for analysis of a sensitive acquisitions issue facing the center. The circuit rider archivist accepted an invitation to write an article for Provenance, the journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists, as a result of the meeting.

The circuit rider archivist also led a session to discuss the circuit rider archivist program at the meeting of the Society of Georgia Archivists in November. Representatives from the Hall County Library System, Peach Public Libraries, and Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, organizations from the first round of circuit rider archivist visits, were invited to participate.

As the year came to a close, the circuit rider archivist prepared for the second round of visits in 2007. He organized and scheduled a series of 11 informational meetings across the state for organizations that might be interested applying for the second round of visits. These meetings will be hosted by organizations from the first round of visits with the view in mind that they can provide additional insight to interested organizations. The inclusion of sites from the first round of visits also promotes the partnership between those organizations, the Georgia Archives, and the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board. GHRAB expects to add an additional 50 organizations to the program through the second round.

Clayton State University Activities

During the summer and fall of 2006, the circuit rider archivist and Dr. Gene Hatfield, chair of the Department of Social Sciences at Clayton State University, completed revisions of the proposal for a Master of Arts in Archival Studies in preparation for external comment on the proposal. Comments were solicited from provosts from other schools within the University System of Georgia and from the Georgia Archives. Comments will continue to be received from other institutions.

The circuit rider archivist taught two classes at Clayton State University during the fall semester. These included Survey of United States History since Reconstruction and Introduction to Public History. Archival projects were incorporated in both classes.

Historical Records Project Grants / CRA Regrants

GHRAB awarded 31 Historical Records Project Grants totaling $267,557, although only $234,356 was accepted.

The 31 projects began in June and July of 2006. One project has been completed (Foxfire Fund) and six additional projects are near completion (Augusta Museum of History, Cherokee County Historical Society, City of Gainesville, Cobb County Government, Columbus Consolidated Government, and the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum). As part of their grant projects, fourteen organizations are developing disaster preparedness plans and six organizations are developing acquisition/collection policies. Projects are expected to end successfully by June 2007.

Budget

Below is a summary of project costs during the calendar year 2006.

Salaries & Fringe Benefits
The circuit rider archivist spent approximately 40% of his time on Georgia Archives or CRA work and 60% of his time on Clayton State University (CSU) work. GHRAB and CSU jointly covered the salary for the circuit rider archivist – CSU paid $10,000 in cash match and GHRAB paid $46,000 in-kind match; this salary will cover the period of July 2006 through June 2007. The Georgia Archives and CSU staff contributed an additional $48,016.05 as in-kind match for time on the project.

Regarding fringe benefits, CSU paid $16,800 in cash match for the circuit rider archivist. The Georgia Archives and CSU staff contributed $32,838.52 as in-kind match for time on the project.

Travel Costs
Travel costs were much less than projected, as was the case last year. GHRAB used $2,072 in grant funds for travel during 2006 and expects to use much of the $5,059 balance for the circuit rider archivist informational meetings scheduled for 2007. GHRAB contributed only $112 as cash match for travel. As previously reported, approximately $1,000 will be contributed by local organizations as cash match rather than the projected $8,800 during the overall project. However, GHRAB has more than made up for this shortfall with its increased cash match for regrants; see “Other Costs / Regrants” below.

Supplies and Services
Actual supply costs were much lower than expected and no supplies were purchased in 2006. The telephone usage is estimated at $650.

Other Costs / Regrants
GHRAB awarded 31 regrants totaling $267,557, although only $234,356 was accepted. Grant funds totaling $111,136.26 were used to award 17 Regrants ($108,202) and 8 Archival Supply Grants ($2,934.26). Cash match funds were used to award an additional 14 regrants totaling $159,355.

Please note that we previously reported the regrant breakdown as: NHPRC funded 22 projects and cash match funded 9 projects. However, we needed to revise this breakdown due to how the grants needed to be coded in the Secretary of State fiscal office.

Activities for January – June 2007

• Continue circuit rider archivist visits as needed by Round One organizations and grantee organizations
• Review progress on recommendations made to Round One organizations visited by the circuit rider archivist and measure any improvements
• Conduct a series of 11 informational meetings across the state for organizations that might be interested applying for Round Two visits
• Receive and process applications for Round Two visits
• Continue to administer regrants to 31 organizations
• Conduct three regional disaster preparedness workshops for grantee organizations
• Close out regrant projects and evaluate the success of the projects
• Produce a written report for the Georgia General Assembly on the results of the program to demonstrate the value for continuing the Circuit Rider Archivist Program
• Teach two classes at Clayton State University during the spring semester on Introduction to Archival Theory & Practice and Modern U.S. History Survey
• Finalize written proposal for a Master of Arts in Archival Studies at Clayton State University