strategic plan to improve the preservation, collection ...amounts of training in preservation or...

Strategic Plan to Improve thePreservation, Collection, and Use of New Jersey Historical Records

NEW JERSEY STATE HISTORICAL RECORDS ADVISORY BOARD

CoordinatorKarl J. Niederer, director, New Jersey Division of Archives and Records Management

Ronald Becker, curator, Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University LibrariesCharles F. Cummings, assistant director, Special Collections, Newark Public Library

Ben Primer, Ph.D., university archivist, Princeton University LibraryJohn W. Hartmann, attorney at law, Princeton

Marc Mappen, Ph.D., executive director, New Jersey Historical CommissionAngela Pulvino, county clerk, Cape May County

Gary Hunter, Ph.D., associate professor, Rowan UniversityMaxine Lurie, Ph.D., associate professor, Seton Hall University

Barbara J. Mitnick, Ph.D., art historianPaul W. Schopp, historian, A. D. Marble & Co.

James F. Turk, Ph.D., curator of cultural history, New Jersey State MuseumRichard Waldron, executive director, American Swedish Historical Society

Published for the NJSHRAB by the Division of Archives and Records ManagementNew Jersey Department of State

October 2001

New Jersey State Historical Records Advisory Boardc/o New Jersey State Archives

225 West State StreetP.O. Box 307

Trenton, NJ 08625-0307

Telephone: (609) 292-6260; www.njarchives.org/shrab.html

Front Cover Photos (top to bottom)Lucy the Elephant, National Historic Landmark, Margate, N.J., courtesy of New Jersey State Archives

Thomas Alva Edison in his study, courtesy of National Park Service, Edison National Historic SiteUniversity Chapel, Princeton University, courtesy of Princeton University ArchivesGreat Seal of the State of New Jersey, 1776, courtesy of New Jersey State Archives

Back Cover Photos (top to bottom)Ocean House, Cape May, N.J., courtesy of New Jersey State ArchivesGovernor Harold G. Hoffman, courtesy of New Jersey State Archives

The Graduate College, Princeton University, courtesy of Princeton University Archives

Strategic Plan to Improve the Preservation, Collection, and Use of

New Jersey Historical Records

CONTENTS

Letter from the Board Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

What is SHRAB? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

The Strategic Planning Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Nongovernmental Repositories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Municipal Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

State Government Electronic Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Writing the Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Strategic Plan—Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Strategic Plan—Statement of Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . .9

NHPRC Grants Received to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

STATE OF NEW JERSEY STATE HISTORICAL RECORDS

ADVISORY BOARD

Letter from the Board Coordinator

September 2001

Building a promising future for New Jersey will depend on how well our citizensunderstand our history. We can understand our rich past only by having access to thehistorical records of our government, our people, and the institutions of our society.

New Jersey faces a major challenge at the outset of the new millennium: securing thepreservation of our priceless documentary heritage for research by future generations.Meeting the challenge calls for a concerted statewide effort to safeguard our historicalrecords, plus an aggressive campaign to broaden public awareness of the usefulness ofarchival resources in understanding our past, addressing the complex issues of the present,and making intelligent choices to shape our destiny. The State Historical RecordsAdvisory Board (SHRAB) has produced a practical strategic plan to meet that challengeduring the next five years. The plan’s recommended goals, objectives, and action steps forimproving the preservation, collection, and use of New Jersey’s historical records appearin this report.

In recent years, more New Jerseyans than ever before have rallied to the call toprotect our heritage in an organized, systematic way. In 1997, the state’s Task Force onNew Jersey History published its landmark report, A Heritage Reclaimed, which describedthe impact of decades of neglecting the fabric of our history. Appointed by the governorand legislature, the task force dedicated two years to studying the needs of historicalorganizations and programs, and ultimately recommended several important steps forimproving historical records preservation and access in both government and nonprofitrepositories. Earlier this year, the Advocates for New Jersey History, a statewidenonprofit association dedicated to the promotion of history, led our history organizationsand constituencies in adopting The New Jersey History Plan: Goals and Recommendations. Theplan’s priorities include seeking increased support for expanding cooperative educational,professional, and technical services to archives and manuscript repositories; improvingcollections preservation and access; and encouraging research, publications, and teachingusing primary sources. The State Historical Records Advisory Board’s strategic plan for2001-2006 now builds upon this excellent foundation, focusing tightly on advancing thecause of New Jersey’s archives and historical recordkeepers. This plan merits theattention of all New Jerseyans dedicated to ensuring that our rich past has the futureit deserves.

Karl J. NiedererCoordinator, New Jersey State Historical Records Advisory Board

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Strategic Plan to Improve the Preservation, Collection, and Use of

New Jersey Historical Records

For well over three centuries now, New Jerseyanshave recorded their history through a wide variety ofmeans: a deed of land from the native Munsee to Britishauthorities, a colonial farmer’s account book, a census ofa Civil War widow and her children, photographs of aVictorian house, the papers of an Indo-Americancultural society, or a computer tape from a governmentagency. By all accounts, the status of these records hasimproved considerably over the last few decades.Through the efforts of historically minded citizens,most of them dedicated volunteers, immeasurablevolumes of diaries, photographs and the like have beenunearthed from private attics and transferred to morepublicly accessible historical societies and libraries. TheState Archives has made great progress in the last fewyears, moving to new, expanded, and greatly improvedfacilities, while improving public access to its collectionsfor research; and the leading universities in the statecontinue to maintain excellent archival programs.

Still, as is known by anyone who has researched inthe historical records of this state, some of the archivesand manuscript repositories in New Jersey are poorlyorganized and maintained. Especially at smaller ones,overworked curators of records, professional andvolunteer alike, struggle to preserve and control anever-burgeoning supply of historical documentation. Inthe meantime, the preservation problems posed bypowerful yet unstable electronic technologies have yetto be addressed comprehensively by government. TheState Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB)seeks to rectify these conditions by presenting astatewide strategic blueprint for improvement, and bydeveloping cooperative coalitions of historicalorganizations and other stakeholders to accomplish theplan’s goals.

What is SHRAB?

The New Jersey SHRAB is one of more than fiftysimilar boards active throughout the nation dedicated tohistorical records planning and coordination. The systemof state historical records advisory boards was initiated in1975 by the National Historical Publications andRecords Commission (NHPRC), the grant-awarding armof the National Archives, as authorized by federal statutes(44 USC 2104) and regulations (36 CFR Chapter 12).All states and territories are required to have activehistorical records boards in order to participate in theNHPRC grant programs.

New Jersey’s SHRAB currently consists of thirteenmembers appointed by the governor to three-year terms.Almost all are historians, archivists, or librarians withyears of experience in interpreting, caring for, oradministering historical records. By federal regulation, thedirector of the Division of Archives and RecordsManagement (DARM) in the New Jersey Department ofState, and the executive director of the New JerseyHistorical Commission are ex-officio members of theboard; the former serves as the coordinator for the boardand the staff of DARM provide administrative support.

SHRAB serves two primary roles. First, the boardserves as a central advisory body within New Jersey forhistorical records planning and coordination. Strategicplanning is key to the board’s advisory function.Second, the board reviews grant proposals of astatewide or local scope submitted to NHPRC forfunding support. A list of NHPRC grants to NewJersey institutions for improving recordkeeping appearsat the end of this report.

The Strategic Planning Process

The board produced the plan following a three-year process, funded principally by the NationalHistorical Publications and Records Commission(NHPRC), that consisted of the following phases:

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Data Collection

SHRAB authorized DARM to hire a consultant tosurvey the operations of over 1,300 repositories—academic and public libraries, historical societies,museums, and historical commissions—and write astatistical report based on its findings. In addition,the condition and status of municipal records andstate government electronic records was assessedthrough contacts to the officials that manage them.

Particularly striking data uncovered in these reports are:

• the eleven repositories with the largest holdingspossess almost three-fourths of the holdings ofthose who responded to the survey

• the smallest three-quarters of all repositories ownjust under 5 percent of all holdings

• historical societies are the most numerous type ofrepository, accounting for almost one-third of thetotal; but they own just over a tenth of allcollections surveyed

• almost all public libraries have adequateenvironmental controls, extensive hours ofoperation, adequate equipment, and professionallystaff; yet they hold less than 6 percent of allrecords surveyed

• historical societies rank at the bottom of allrepository types in terms of environmentalcontrols, professional staffing, and public hours;yet they have by the far the largest pool ofvolunteers, acquire invaluable local documentation,and take good advantage of archival trainingopportunities

• a comparison with a similar survey conducted bySHRAB in 1982 reveals that environmentalcontrols and security against theft and fire haveimproved dramatically in the last generation

• only 10 percent of all municipal clerks’ offices aremanaged, equipped, and funded adequately to carefor local government archives

• state government agencies have an enormous andunknown amount of electronic records, stored in abewildering variety of formats

Nongovernmental Repositories

Of the 1,300 repositories surveyed, 270 (21 percent)responded. Survey data on environmental controls,professional staff, and public access are shown ingreater detail in the following tables:

Table 1. Heat, air conditioning and humidity controls, by repository type

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Table 2. Heat, air conditioning and humidity controls, by repository type, 1982 & 1999*

Table 3. Paid professional staff, by repository type

Table 4. Average number of hours open per week and number open by appointment only, by repository type

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The preceding tables make it possible to classify thestate’s nongovernmental repositories in terms of overallquality. The presence of paid professional staff andadequate climate controls are arguably the most basicelements in operating a sound archival program.Moreover, improving them may lie beyond the fiscalresources that will be available to the New JerseySHRAB. With funding from the legislature andNHPRC, the board and other granting agencies canprovide enough archival supplies and training to turn apoor repository into an excellent one—provided that theorganization has sufficient dedicated and skilledpersonnel to organize and make available its collections,and the proper security and environmental controls toprevent their eventual loss or disintegration.

At the top of the archives pyramid are just overtwenty repositories that have at least one full-timeprofessional archivist and excellent HVAC systems—with heat, cooling, and humidity controls operating at alltimes. Thankfully, these repositories hold the vastmajority of all historical collections reported. Next in linein terms of quality are approximately ninety institutionswith good to very good overall programs. Almost all haveat most one professional staff member devoted tohistorical records—usually a librarian with varyingamounts of training in preservation or archival techniques.All have air-conditioning systems, most of which areoperating when needed. (Table 2 shows that such systemshave proliferated considerably since 1982.) The greatmajority of these repositories are public libraries locatedin cities or large towns, with the remainder being splitevenly between county historical societies and a fewspecialized or institutional archives. Just over half of them

have very small collections (under 25 linear feet), thoughnineteen have over 100 linear ft. With the aid of specialtechnical services, such as manuscript cataloging,conservation treatments, and preservation guidance, theyshould be fully capable of caring for their small- tomedium-sized holdings.

More problematical are those repositories with heatand occasional air conditioning, but no professional staff.Of the ninety-odd institutions in this class, almost two-thirds have no paid staff at all, though a few make thebest of this shortcoming by cultivating a dedicated band ofvolunteers. Just over half of their collections total less than25 linear ft.; but over a quarter have over 100 linear ft.—a lot of material to put at risk. These repositories greatlyneed basic archival training for their nonprofessional andvolunteer staff—ideally, a long-term mentoringrelationship with a professional in the field. Above all,such institutions should commit to make an archivesprogram a key part of their overall mission, one that willreceive a sizable share of their meager resources.

Finally, just over sixty repositories have no airconditioning at all; over two-thirds of these have no paidstaff either. Visiting these sorts of institutions usuallyreveals a very disorganized collection of highly varyingmaterials. Only a dozen are open more than ten hours perweek, making research access to these endangered resourcesvery difficult. Thankfully, almost two-thirds of them haveunder 25 linear ft. of archival records, and only nine hadmore than 100 linear ft. These institutions shouldconcentrate on what they do best: preserving historicstructures and raising local historical awareness; theyshould leave the business of maintaining unique historicalrecords to those who have much greater resources.

Municipal Records

Our findings here draw on DARM’s intimateknowledge of New Jersey’s 566 incorporated cities andtowns, tours of about ten municipal clerks’ offices, andinterviews with their officers. Another important resourcewas East Brunswick Township Clerk Betty Kiss, formerpresident of the Municipal Clerks’ Association of NewJersey, and now a widely respected instructor in archivesand records management courses for other municipalclerks. A general consensus emerged from the interviewsand tours that only 10 percent of all clerks’ offices are both

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Women’s ward in the contagious disease hospital at Ellis Island, N.J., ca.1922,courtesy of National Park Service, Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis IslandImmigration Museum.

well-managed and well-funded: inventorying noncurrentfiles, promptly filing for disposal when their legalretention periods expire, and maintaining permanentrecords in a secure facility with state-of-the-art environmentalcontrols. Most other clerks’ offices are run by well-intentioned individuals who simply lack the resources tofulfill their responsibilities. Their chief problems are lackof environmentally sound storage space and, above all,money. To remedy these shortcomings, experiencedobservers recommended: (1) the creation of a state fundfrom document recording fees to which municipalgovernments could apply for records management aid, (2)mentoring programs for municipal clerks, (3) increasingDARM’s staff of records managers to provide moreand improved field services, (4) increasing grant fundingfor conservation of old record books, and (5) recordsmanagement education for other municipal officers.

State Government Electronic Records

For our purposes, it may be said that there are twodifferent kinds of electronic records: databases andimaging systems. The former store abstracted data instructured formats on magnetic disks and tapes; the latterrecord images of entire documents onto optical disks andCD-ROMs. The greatest threat to the continuedaccessibility of both kinds of electronic records arisesfrom the rapidity of technological change. A once-thriving, widely used automation system can becomeuseless if the technology on which it is based becomes soobsolete that it cannot be transferred or migrated to the

next generation. In theory, agencies will recognize theimperative to maintain currently used, long-term, andpermanent records and will take the necessary steps toensure their continued preservation and migration. Inpractice, agencies may well lack the knowledge or fundingnecessary to undertake this complex and expensive task.Some agencies are known to have accidentally erasedmagnetic storage tapes.

Because of all these threats to the long-term longevityof electronic records, the State Records Committee andDivision of Archives and Records Management(DARM) require that agencies retain eye-readable (paperor microfilm) backup copies for all data or image filesthat have a long-term or permanent retention period.However, this does not adequately solve the problem, as anumber of issues remain:

1. Paper backups are an inadequate substitute fordatabase and image files: The utility of databasesresults not only from their ability to store hugeamounts of data electronically, but also from theirpower to index and link together different sets ofdata relationally. The problem is not as severe forimage files; yet it would be a shame to lose the easyaccessibility to records that they provide. TheGovernor’s Office of Constituent Relations(GOCR), for example, scans approximately 100cubic feet of correspondence per year, indexed bycorrespondent and subject keywords. In the absenceof the indexed image files, conducting research in theGOCR files would be a daunting prospect.

2. Records retention periods are often based onadministrative and legal mandates, rather than theneeds of historical scholarship: Busy State RecordsCommittee members and short-handed division staffrely heavily on agency personnel in assessing the long-term importance of electronic records. As a result,some historically valuable records may be deletedprematurely. The Department of Labor, for example,maintains a database of accounting information oneach employer’s payroll. Since the department needsthe data primarily for enforcing employercontributions of unemployment and disability taxes,it offloads records seven years after an employer hasceased operating. But historians might well want to

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FileNet™ optical disk system, courtesy of New Jersey Division of Revenue

use these datafiles for researching patterns of ethnicand gender employment in New Jersey, for example.

3. Noncurrent electronic records can be easilyforgotten: For reasons of economy, agencies oftenremove their older but still permanent records fromdata or image files by downloading them onto a tapeor other storage device. Due to the fallibility ofhuman nature, they then are subject to neglect. Whena recent governor took office, the incomingadministration offloaded the electronic files of itspredecessor’s Office of Constituent Relations onto astorage tape, deeming them irrelevant to theirconcerns. Future administrations will find it still lessimportant to preserve these aging files by continuallyrefreshing them and migrating them to the nextgeneration of technology.

The extent to which these potential problems pervadestate government is unclear, but it is significant. Asreported by their records liaisons, most departments haveimaged at most one or two permanent record series.Databases are somewhat more prevalent, as they are basedon an older technology. Some of this information is clearlyunreliable. One department reported, quite incredibly, thatit has no permanent record series in electronic form.Records liaisons are almost always overworked and oftenreceive little cooperation from their own department’sagencies. One thing is certain: the volume of electronicrecords will continue to increase in the years to come.

Writing the Plan

In March 1999, the board met in retreat for twodays, under the guidance of professional facilitators,during which it wrote vision and mission statements, anddrafted a strategic plan in light of the report prepared bythe project consultant, Rachel Onuf. Soon afterward, theboard attended an all-day training seminar on electronicrecords presented by Fynnette Eaton, of the SmithsonianInstitution Archives. A committee of board members thenmet to add a goals and objectives statement to thestrategic plan relating to electronic records issues. DARMstaff then edited the plan and arranged for its printing insimple word-processed format.

In the fall of 1999, the board sought the public’sreaction to the draft plan through a series of open publicmeetings held at Monmouth County Library, Seton HallUniversity, and Woodstown (Salem County). In thefollowing spring, the board assembled more narrowlyattended focus groups to examine each of the plan’s goalstatements in depth. The focus groups consisted of twoto three different board members, plus up to a half-dozenlibrarians, archivists, or historians who have specialexpertise in the particular goal being discussed. The focusgroups’ work was invaluable, resulting in many keyimprovements to the plan.

Strategic Plan—Introduction

After stating the board’s vision and missionstatements, the plan consists of a table for each of itsseven goals, followed by objectives to work toward duringthe planning period, 2001—2006. All but Goal 7contain objectives that SHRAB will use as fundingpriorities in evaluating applications by New Jerseyinstitutions to the NHPRC. The goals themselves,however, are not written in any particular priority order.In the column immediately to the right of the objectivesare activities the board will pursue in order to meet them.

Accountability and performance measurement

The two right-hand columns in the chart state,respectively, “performance indicators” to determine whenthe activities have been completed, and the names of“possible participants” who may carry out them out. Theplan obviously cannot give complete details and specificson what should happen and when, and who willparticipate. The SHRAB will review the plan each year toassess progress toward achieving the seven goals and willmake adjustments through annual workplans and reports.The board’s review will include an assessment of thedegree to which the performance indicators are being orhave been addressed. To do this, SHRAB will sponsorregular meetings of representatives of historical recordsrepositories to gather information, assess progress, anddiscuss matters of common interest, concern, and action.

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Goal 1: To improve physical and intellectual access to and preservation of historical records located in a broad range of repositories

This goal addresses the heart of archival work: cataloging,conserving, and storing records. Archivists catalog manuscriptsby describing them in a common format, using standardterminology so that the resulting records convey universallyunderstood meaning and can be transported electronicallythroughout hyperspace. Archivists conserve historical recordsby handling, packaging, and sometimes reformatting tomaximize their longevity, drawing on scientific knowledgeinformed by continual experimentation. Finally, they storearchival materials in secure, climatically stable facilities. Asurvey of the state’s 1,300+ historical records repositoriesrevealed wide gaps in their ability to exercise these basicprofessional functions. Through these goals and their relatedactivities, the plan seeks to narrow those disparities.

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Objectives

Create a coordinated programfor cataloging collections andidentifying preservationtreatment needs

Encourage development ofstatewide conservation program

Consider establishing regionalrepositories for holding collectionsowned by smaller institutions thatlack archival storage facilities

Activities

• Create and continuously updatean online list of repositories withcontact and collectionsinformation

• Establish a statewide program forbasic MARC/ NUCMCcataloging of the collections ofsmall repositories, using itinerantcatalogers

➞ As cataloging proceeds, write-upbroad-brush preservationassessment reports

➞ As cataloging proceeds, identifycollections for futuremicrofilming and/ordigitization

• Publicize Library of Congress’sNUCMC cataloging program toall historical records repositories

Using data gathered above, writesummary report on preservationneeds and recommendations foraddressing them

Conduct a study to determine thefeasibility of the regional repositoryconcept

Performance Indicators

• List of repositories will becomprehensive and updatedregularly

• Catalogers will visit 200repositories and create 1,500MARC records

• Catalogers will write 200preservation assessment reports

• Materials about NUCMC will besent to all repositories

• Summary preservation needsreport completed

• Report is completed

Possible Participants

NJ Caucus of the Mid-Atlantic RegionalArchives Conference (hereafterMARAC/NJ Caucus)

NJ State Library (hereafter NJSL)

Rutgers University Libraries, SpecialCollections and University Archives(hereafter Rutgers Spec. Coll.)

Department of State, Div. of Archivesand Records Management(hereafter DARM)

League of NJ Historical Societies

State Historical Records Advisory Board(hereafter SHRAB), NJSL,MARAC/NJ Caucus

SHRAB

Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center, courtesy of Caucus Archival Projects andEvaluation Service (CAPES) of N.J. Caucus, Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference

Goal 2: To ensure that the state’s diverse communities are represented in present and future records collecting

This goal seeks to increase the collecting of records fromindividuals and groups who heretofore have gone relativelyunderdocumented in the state’s repositories: these includenew immigrant populations, workers, African Americans,and women. The last three groups have historically beenexcluded from the mainsprings of power in Americansociety and, until relatively recently, from the interest ofhistorians and archivists. Recent immigrants simply havenot been in the U.S. long enough to develop the kind ofself-consciousness of past necessary for generation ofarchival collections suitable for donation to repositories.Archivists therefore need to be more proactive in seekingout the literature of recent immigrants.

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Objectives

Establish coordinated programbased in existing repositories forsurveying potential sources andcollecting historical records

Develop an educational programto help communities appreciatethe importance of their historicalrecords and take steps topreserve them

Activities

• Identify and make contacts withunderdocumented communitiesthrough civic, faith-based, ethnic,veterans, and other localinstitutions

• Survey records held by suchcommunities

• Accession collections

• Make presentations tocommunity groups thatdemonstrate importance ofhistorical records

• Provide workshops forcommunity groups on basic careof archival records


• Make contacts with sixty under-documented communities

• Survey thirty such groups

• Accession twenty collections

• Make thirty presentations

• Present ten workshops


Rutgers Spec. Coll., NJ Historical Society,other large repositories, NJ HistoricalCommission, SHRAB

NJ Historical Commission, NJ HistoricalSociety, DARM, Rutgers Spec. Coll,MARAC/NJ Caucus.

Modeling for Colored Elks Club show, New Brunswick, N.J., 1961,courtesy of Rutgers University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives

Goal 3: To promote the improvement of archival management skills among the state’s historical records personnel

As the survey data demonstrates, many repositoriesdo not and may never be able to employprofessional archivists, and most that do will onlyemploy one. The objectives in this section pointtoward greatly increasing opportunities forvolunteers and entry-level workers to be introducedto archival management and for the moreexperienced to further and sharpen their skills.

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Objectives

Locate on-line site(s) fortraining volunteer and staffarchivists

Locate and distribute videosand manuals for trainingvolunteer and staff archivists

Publicize and coordinateworkshops that focus onarchival training

Offer training workshops atexisting conservation facilities

Establish a statewide programof archival internships forundergraduate and graduatestudents

Activities

• Identify schools that have archival courses fordistance learning

• Locate websites with information on archivaltraining

• Publish above information on SHRABweb site with links to SAA, AASLH,NEDCC, etc.

• Create a collection in the State Library ofarchival training materials available forinterlibrary loan

• Publicize availability of materials

• Track loan activity and refer trends toworkshop presenting agencies forconsideration as new workshop focus

• Define training needs

• Create a calendar of training workshopsoffered by the State Library, RutgersUniversity, MARAC, etc., including list ofprograms presenters

• Distribute calendar for printing in thenewsletters of relevant statewide library andhistorical organizations

• Offer training workshops at existingconservation facilities

• Identify colleges and universities interested insponsoring interns to work in repositories

• Identify repositories that would be willing tohost interns

• Facilitate connections between sending andreceiving institutions


• Information available on Website during 2001

• Collection available for loan byend of 2001

• Circulation of collection totals100 per year

• Calendar online by end of 2001

• Repositories with workshop-trained staff increases to 50%(from 31% currently)

• Three workshops held every twoyears, with average attendanceof fifteen

• Planning conference to initiateprogram held by sponsoringorganizations in 2002

• Operating funds obtainedthrough grant in 2002

• Participation of 5 universities and30 repositories secured in 2003


Chair of MARAC/NJ Caucus,NJ State Archives

NJSL, CAPES coordinator, chair ofthe MARAC/NJ Caucus

NJ State Archives, chair of theMARAC/NJ Caucus

SHRAB, NJSL

SHRAB, NJ Studies AcademicAlliance, MARAC/NJCaucus, NJ HistoricalCommission, Rutgers UniversityPublic History InternshipProgram

Archives and conservation manuals: James M. Reilly, Care andIdentification of 19th -Century Photographic Prints. Rochester, N.Y.: Eastman

Kodak Co., 1986; David Carmicheal, Organizing Archival Records.Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1993.

Goal 4: To increase the overall level of support for archival records programs

The survey indicates that over half of all repositories cannot afford to hire a full-time professional, and only 24percent had humidity controls. Clearly, the state’s archival programs need increased funding. Goal 4 addresses thiscrucial problem by directing the archival community to seek new and more stable sources of funding and to trainthemselves in advocacy techniques.

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Objectives

Develop a dedicated source offunds from public or recordationrevenues

Develop new sources of funding forprojects

Improve the ability of users andcustodians of historical records toinfluence the political process

Activities

• Survey public funding practicesfor recording

• Contact NJ historical advocacyorganizations and agencies todevelop legislative strategies

• Implement strategies

• Identify public and privatesources of funds

• Submit funding proposals toassist with the accomplishment ofthe objectives in this strategic plan

• Offer training in grassrootsadvocacy and coalition-buildingin support of historical recordsprograms through conferences,seminars, workshops

• Sponsor advocacy workshops forteachers at NJEA Convention,New Jersey Council for HistoryEducation, New Jersey SocialStudies teachers events


• Survey report withrecommendations completed

• Legislation drafted

• Report on funding sourcesprepared

• Funding proposals submitted toNHPRC and approved

• 2 programs offered

• 1 workshop sponsored


DARM, Advocates for NJ History, Leagueof NJ Historical Societies, MunicipalClerks Association

SHRAB

Advocates for NJ History, MARAC/NJCaucus, NJ Education Association, NJStudies Academic Alliance, NJ Councilfor the Social Studies

Goal 5: To promote public awareness of the importance of historical records and the need tosupport adequately their repositories

Like Goal 4, this goal addresses the archival community’s long-term need to increase its financial and institutional resources.But here, the plan takes a longer view, recognizing that under-funding of archival programs arises from publicmisunderstanding about the full range of the uses and values ofhistorical records. The activities outlined in Goal 5 aim toimprove public and governmental support of records programs,by educating and involving citizens and leaders in the businessof records administration.

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Objectives

To build a base of broadpublic support for historicalrecords and archives

To educate and involve localand state leaders in thesupport of archival programs

Establish statutory authorityfor the SHRAB, defining theboard’s responsibilities foradvising the State Archives,governor, and legislature

Activities

• Establish a Friends/Trust for archivalprograms statewide

• Provide logistical support to encouragehistorical repositories to hold popularprograms (e.g., exhibitions, speakers, films,videos) on targeted historical themes, focusedon their collections

• Establish a Web site as an informationalresource to inform the public ofopportunities and available resources tosupport programs

• Expand Archives Day to a week-longprogram

• Hold a multi-day conference on history andhistorical records

• Report annually to the governor, statelegislature and key public officials on thestatus of historical records programs,achievements and needs statewide

• Monitor annual statistics, public use,visitation, programs, etc. of repositories

• Assess resources and benefits of archivalprograms for state and local governing bodies

• Provide information on archival and heritagetourism

• Encourage regular communication withlegislators and public officials

• Draft legislation and related regulations


• Friends organization incorporated

• Informal consortium of agenciesestablished to provide logisticalsupport

• Web site design prepared forboard approval and implemented

• Number of institutions offeringspecial events increases from1 to 4

• Report submitted annually in June

• Repositories surveyed annually

• Study of economic impact ofarchival programs completedwithin five years

• Communication training includedin provision of logistical support(see first objective, second activitybullet, above)

• Legislation passed


SHRAB, DARM, NJ HistoricalCommission, MARAC/NJCaucus, Advocates for NJHistory, Genealogical Societyof NJ (hereafter GSNJ),NJ Council for the Humanities(hereafter NJCH)

SHRAB, DARM, NJSL, NJHistorical Commission,Advocates for NJ History,League of NJ HistoricalSocieties, GSNJ, NJ StateLegislature

DARM, SHRAB, NJ StateLegislature

Acting Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco addresses N.J. HistoryIssues Convention, March 16, 2001

Goal 6: To increase the use of primary sources in history education by encouraging cooperationbetween historical records repositories and educators

For too long within the state’s history community,educators and archivists have worked in separateworlds, when they could have profited from a fruitfulinteraction. The activities in this goal should result inincreased use of historical records in the classroom,where they will enrich learning and excite studentparticipation in ways that textbooks and othersecondary sources cannot. In turn, repositories willbenefit from having a new generation educated withan understanding of the unique value of originalarchival records.

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Objectives

Recommend use of records andother primary source materials inthe teaching of social studiescurriculum in New Jersey schools

Support a project of historyeducators and archivists to createhistory curriculum based onresource packets, both paper-basedand electronic

Develop models for student toursand the use of archival facilities

Activities

• Propose recommendationregarding use of records incurriculum to appropriateDepartment of Educationreview bodies

• Circulate social studies corecurriculum content standards andframeworks and relatedcurriculum guides amongarchivists, requesting manuscriptsthat would assist teachers infulfilling them

• Cooperate with NJ Council forthe Humanities, NJ HistoricalCommission, and otherorganizations in runningcurriculum projects

• Present workshops for NJ historyteachers in incorporating use ofprimary sources in teaching

Develop age-appropriate modeltours of archival facilities toprovide basic training for studentsand teachers in the use of primarysource materials


• Proposal submitted

• Desired recommendationsare adopted by Departmentof Education

• 40 or more primary sourcematerials identified for use incurriculum

• 5-10 workshops for teachersprovided

• Four age-appropriate programsmodels developed

• Report results


SHRAB, Department of Educationcurriculum specialists, National HistoryDay coordinators

NJ Studies Academic Alliance, ElectronicNew Jersey, NJ Council for the SocialStudies, NJ Council on HistoryEducation, NJCH, NJ HistoricalCommission, Department of Educationcurriculum specialists, NJ HistoricalSociety, MARAC/NJ Caucus

Rutgers Spec. Coll., Princeton UniversityArchives, NJ Historical Society, NJState Archives

Students study historical documents, courtesy of New Jersey Historical Society

Goal 7: To improve the management of the electronic records of all governmental agencies

See extended discussion (page 7) for the rationale for this goal. As afirst step in tackling the enormous problems posed by electronicrecords, the board decided to limit its activities to matters relatingto government records.

15

Objectives

Improve coordination ofelectronic recordsmanagement withingovernment

Improve the Division ofArchives and RecordsManagement’s ability tomanage governmentalelectronic records

Improve understanding ofelectronic records issuesamong relevant governmentemployees

Activities

• Strengthen and broaden legislation andregulations relating to electronic records

➞ Work with departmental and Office ofInformation Technology (OIT)personnel who are members of legislativeworking group

➞ Work with State Records Committee andDepartment of State to promulgateregulations and suggest legislation

• Develop appropriate government-wideinformation policies and standards forelectronic data interchange and systemsdocumentation

➞ DARM will develop memorandum ofunderstanding in conjunction withOIT regarding DARM’s participationin IT planning

• Bring records retention schedules up todate to reflect current informationtechnology usage

• Design a comprehensive program in theState Archives for maintaining electronicrecords of permanent historical value

➞ Develop adequate facilities andinfrastructure in DARM for storageand maintenance of electronic records

• Present a series of training seminars foreducating government records managers andarchivists, chief administrators, M.I.S. andprocurement officials, regarding the archivaland records management implications ofelectronic records

• Rerun DARM’s records managementseminar, updated to include electronicrecords issues


• DARM develops productiverelationship established withmembers of legislativeworking group

• DARM and OIT jointly developpolicies and standards

• Records schedules updated byyear 2003

• Electronic records program iscreated

• Appropriate regulationspromulgated for transfer ofelectronic records to State Archives

• Improved facilities constructed

• Seminar rerun by year 2006

• Seminar rerun by year 2003


DARM, Department of State, NJOffice of InformationTechnology, State RecordsCommittee

DARM

DARM

FileNet™ optical disk system, courtesy of New Jersey Division of Revenue

National Historical Publications and Records CommissionGrants Received to Date

The board has carried out two NHPRC grants in its own right, a Statewide Needs Assessment Project (1981-82), which surveyed records accessibility and storage conditions in libraries, historical societies, and government,business, and nonprofit organizations; and, of course, the current Strategic Planning Project (1998-2001).

All other NHPRC grants reviewed by SHRAB were received by individual repositories, enabling them to processspecific collections of archival materials, as follows:

• New Jersey State Library, State Archives $30,432 to survey county historical records and improve programs for countyrecords administration (2 grants; 1978, 1979).

• Newark Public Library $15,553 to preserve and microfilm a collection of historical photographs and prepare anaccompanying finding aid (1978).

• New Jersey Historical Society and Newark Public Library $31,215 to survey and accession historical business recordsof Newark firms (2 grants; 1978, 1979).

• Monmouth County Historical Association, Freehold $17,050 to arrange and describe manuscript collections (1980).

• William Paterson College, Wayne $1,408 to arrange, describe and microfilm the papers of William Paterson (1980).

• Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton $3,634 to survey the institute’s historical records and develop an archival program(1985).

• Educational Testing Service, Princeton $5,510 to process the papers of Gertrude Hildreth (1985).

• New Jersey Division of Archives and Records Management $19,238 to encourage the development of municipalrecords programs statewide, and produce a local government records manual and training program (1985).

• New Jersey Division of Archives and Records Management $40,900 to develop a series of training modules in archivaland records management theory, methodology, and law for state and local government officials (1989).

• Rutgers University, New Brunswick $83,918 to process the records of the International Union of Electronic, Electrical,Salaried, Machine, and Furniture Workers, AFL-CIO (1991).

• Princeton University $149,106 to establish a records management program for the American Civil Liberties Union, andto survey ACLU’s archives (1993).

• Rutgers University, New Brunswick $55,723 to arrange and describe the records of four New Jersey utopiancommunities: Jersey Homesteads (Roosevelt), Farmingdale, the Modern School, and Free Acres (1995).

• Rutgers University, New Brunswick $87,013 to arrange and describe four collections that document the involvement ofwomen in 20th century public life: the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, the Consumers League of New Jersey,the New Jersey Welfare Council, and Mary Roebling (1996).

• New Jersey Historical Society, Newark $41,322 to preserve, arrange, describe, and publicize 60 collections relating tothe history of health care in New Jersey, covering a time span of more than 250 years (1997).

• Princeton University, Princeton $55,206 to organize, describe, catalog, and provide more effective access to collectionsin Seeley G. Mudd Library relating to Cold War era liberalism. The major collections include the Fund for the RepublicArchives, Freedom House Archives, and the records of Franklin Book Programs, Inc. (1997).

• Rutgers University, New Brunswick $73,556 to arrange and describe the Frances Grant and Robert Alexander Papers,collections documenting inter-American cooperation (1998).

• New Jersey Historical Society, Newark $188,220 to arrange, describe, and create MARC cataloging records for 435collections relating to the economic and social transformation of New Jersey, 1750-1860 (1999).

16

Acknowledgments

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission provided the funding (Grant Number 98-003)that supported the State Historical Records Advisory Board’s planning process and the publication of this plan.Additional resources were provided by the Division of Archives and Records Management, New Jersey Department of State.

Many individuals helped the SHRAB develop this strategic plan. The following leaders in the archival, library, andhistorical communities met with the board to participate in its initial strategic planning meetings in March 1999:

Rita Fulginiti, deputy county clerk, Cape May CountyJames Kaser, former librarian, New Jersey Historical SocietyJohn Livingston, former director, New Jersey State Library

Gary Saretzky, archivist, Monmouth County ArchivesLarry Schmidt, former executive director, New Jersey Council for the Humanities

Sally Yerkovich, executive director, New Jersey Historical Society

Hundreds of other New Jerseyans contributed to the planning process, including:

• Repository staff and volunteers who filled out questionnaire surveys

• Attendees at the three open public meetings held in the fall of 1999

• Participants in the focus groups held in the spring and summer of 2000

Finally, the board’s consultant, Rachel Onuf, designed and disseminated the survey questionnaires, entered andanalyzed the resulting data via database and spreadsheet programs, and described the results in a report to the board.Working under the direction of the board’s coordinator, Daniel P. Jones of the State Archives’ staff oversaw Ms.Onuf’s work, coordinated all aspects of the planning effort, and wrote the final report.

NJ State Historical Records Advisory Boardc/o NJ State ArchivesPO Box 307, 225 West State StreetTrenton, NJ 08625-0307Phone: (609) 292-6260Web site: www.njarchives.org/shrab.htmlEmail: [email protected]

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