Billington Confirmed as Librarian of Congress: On July 24 the Senate voted to approve the nomination of James Billington, Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center of the Smithsonian Institution, for the position of Librarian of Congress. Billington, a leading historian of Russian culture, is respected as both a scholar and an administrator. The final vote of approval came less than two weeks after the July 14 confirmation hearing by the Senate Rules Committee. Witnesses at the hearing stressed that Billington has demonstrated an ability to foster intellectual pursuits and to promote the healthy and innovative expansion of a major cultural institution. Several witnesses did use the opportunity of this hearing to identify some of the problems currently facing the Library of Congress—such as preservation of brittle books, use of new technology, and discriminatory employment practices—and to urge Billington to provide leadership in these areas. In mid-September Billington will officially assume the duties of the Librarian of Congress.
White House Expected Soon to Announce Nominee for US Archivist: Following John Agresto’s request on May 29 that he no longer be considered for the position of US Archivist, the White House Personnel Office quickly reactivated the selection process. On June 8 the Executive Directors of the American Historical Association and the Society of American Archivists and I met with the staff of the White House Personnel Office to discuss the qualifications and possible candidates for the position of US Archivist. The White House Personnel Office moved quickly, and by July indications were that the President had made a tentative selection of Don Wilson. Wilson is currently the Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum and an Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Michigan. In both education and professional experience, Wilson is well suited for this position. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Cincinnati and for the past two decades has held positions as Archivist of the Kansas State Historical Society, Historian and later Deputy Director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library, and Associate Director of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
White House personnel staff have stated that instead of the President making an announcement of intention as was done in the case of the nomination for Librarian of Congress, an announcement on the nomination for US Archivist would not be made until the completion of the FBI clearance check and until all necessary papers have been sent to the Senate.
During the winter, a special NCC committee prepared a list of six suggestions for US Archivist that included Wilson.
Freedom of Information Act: In April federal agencies began to implement the FOIA amendments passed last October that established new fees and procedures for applying for fee waivers. One aspect of the new procedures that is particularly disturbing for scholars is the requirement that requesters receive no financial gain from use of the material requested. In recent months several federal agencies have denied historians fee waivers because they contend that use of the requested material will result in financial gain. Since the original intent of the FOIA was to make available information about the government’s activities for the public good, it seems most ironic that the publication of a scholarly monograph, which generally yields small remunerations but which would contribute to the “public good,” is viewed as commercial gain.
Historians are also beginning to feel the effects of the requirement that requests be “authorized by and under the auspices of a qualifying institution.” One federal agency has alerted a historian that future requests must be made on “behalf’ of the university “so that the University’s ownership of records provided and possible publication royal ties are recognized.” If you have had any recent correspondence with federal agencies concerning the implementation of the new procedures for FOIA requests, I hope that you will keep the NCC apprised of pertinent developments.
House Passes FY’88 Appropriations Bills: National Archives. The House of Representatives on July 15 passed an appropriation bill for FY’88 that includes $116.266 million for the National Archives. This represents an increase of $6 million over the President’s recommendation of $110 million. Of the $116.266 million, $4 million is earmarked for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission’s grants program and $6 million for the development of an architectural design for a new archival building. Although this appropriation is almost $16 million greater than the current level of $100.3 million, this amount offers little new operational money. The money specified for the architectural design, a sizable increase in the General Services Administration’s rental charges for the records centers, and the added personnel costs of the new federal retirement plan absorb most of the increase.
The Senate does not expect to consider the appropriation for the National Archives until after the August recess. A concerted effort is being made to gain support in the Senate for the $6 million for a new archival facility. In recent years the lack of adequate storage space has forced the National Archives to disperse archival records and related pro grams to various leased facilities in the Washington, DC area, The current situation hampers research, wastes resources by forcing the National Archives to operate duplicate facilities, and fails to provide adequate storage environments for historic records. Tentative plans are for the new building to be located in the Washington suburbs within easy access to good public transportation.
National Endowment for the Humanities. The House voted a small increase for NEH, bringing the total for FY’88 to $139.64 million as compared with the FY’87 amount of $138.49 million. The slight increase will go for administrative costs. The one change in grants allocations involves an addition of $500,000 for the Office of Preservation and a decrease of $500,000 for the NEH Humanities Projects in Libraries. The increase for preservation evolved as a response to concern expressed in April during a hearing on the problem of “brittle books” before the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education. While applauding the additional support for preservation, there is concern that an excellent program that promotes the use of humanities collections in libraries had to be cut. Applications for the Humanities Projects in Libraries has exceeded awards by a ratio of almost three to one. The Senate has not scheduled a vote on this appropriation.
Progress Made on Clarification of Federal Oral History Procedures: In March 1985 the Society for History in the Federal Government’s Oral History Subcommittee sent to the Archivist of the United States a report calling for the National Archives to provide specific procedures for federal oral history programs. The report covered a wide range of issues including the definition of “oral history,” restricted access, model deeds of gift, interview processing, and preservation considerations. After recently receiving the needed opinions from the Justice Department, the National Archives developed and sent to the federal historical offices a package with established procedures for conducting and preserving oral histories, including a model deed of gift that can be used for the National Archives to accept oral histories.
Archives and Records Information Coalition Formed: In June representatives of fifteen national organizations and federal agen cies met to respond to the report, Information Resources for Archivists and Records Administrators, which grew out of a two-year study sponsored by the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators. The group recommended the formation of a new forum for the promotion of archival management and records information exchange. During the meeting the National Archives announced its intention to enhance and broaden the functions and services of its library to serve as the central national repository for information relating to archives and records administration. The new coalition, named the Archives and Records Information Coalition, will be working closely with the National Archives.
