Projects

Over the past three decades, SHRAB has received major grant support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) to sponsor numerous projects that serve its mission through the work of the New York State Archives.

2010 – Strengthening Archives: Online Learning for Historical Records Programs. The State Archives is creating an online archival program assessment and improvement resource geared for small and mid-sized historical records programs, municipal historians, and others responsible for the care of historical records in New York. Anchored on the New York SHRAB’s redesigned website, Strengthening Archives will help repositories assess their strengths and weaknesses and offer tools for improvement including individual instruction, policy templates, best practices, case studies, instructional videos, and a Web 2.0 tool for peer-to-peer information sharing and networking. (State and National Archival Partnership Grant, $59,956)

2009 – Lessons from a Theft: Bringing Security Tools and Knowledge to New York's Historical Records Community. In response to a major theft of documents from the State archives, discovered in 2008, the project is developing and posting to the new NY SHRAB website information for local governments and historical records repositories on how to achieve and maintain security for their collections, on resources and steps they can take if records are stolen, lost, or alienated from their holdings. The project is also developing nine workshops on archival security that will be delivered statewide. (State and National Archival Partnership Grant, $62,632)

2008 – Bringing New Tools and Knowledge to New York’s Historical Records Community. This project has redesigned and rebuilt the SHRAB website as a powerful new resource for the distribution of information related to the identification, preservation, and use of the New York’s historical materials.  Included is a new website, 9/11: Memory & History, that offers survivors and loved ones of those lost that day basic information on how to decide what to save, how to care for treasures at home, and how to donate items to an organization that collects and preserves historical materials. The project is also developing workshops on the preservation of electronic records for New York’s historical records community. (State and National Archival Partnership Grant, $41,000)

2002 – A re-grant project that enabled the Documentary Heritage Program (DHP) to expand its support of documentation and arrangement and description projects, which addressed: (1) the World Trade Center disaster and its impact on New Yorkers; and (2) underdocumented groups, topics, and activities in the state. ($289,613)

1999 – The SHRAB Documentation Demonstration Project, also known as the New York Heritage Documentation Project, which enabled the State Archives to (1) develop and test a topical approach to statewide documentation planning in the areas of mental health, environmental affairs, and Latino/a history and culture; (2), engage records creators and users in the documentation process; (3) take action to preserve the most important records, and (4) raise public awareness of the value of a comprehensive and equitable historical record. ($156,698)

1997 – A New York State Archives project to carry out a comprehensive assessment of its holdings through the development and ongoing use of a collections assessment and management database. ($60,123)

1996 – The development of SHRAB’s ten-year strategic plan, Ensuring a Future for Our Past: A Strategy for New York , released in 1998, which guided statewide historical records program development for a decade and is the foundation for the SHRAB’s 2008-2012 Strategic Priorities. ($51,633)

1995 – For a fellowship in archival administration. ($43,500)

1994 – An 18-month project to improve the administration, preservation, and accessibility of records essential to understanding the environmental movement in the United States. ($94,523)

1992 – A project to analyze information management practices in New York State agencies and to determine how agency policies, procedures, and tools can support electronic records management and archival objectives. ($185,398)

1991 – The second year of a project to advise and support New York's historical records programs, with emphasis on a program of re-grants to local institutions. ($100,000)
1990 – The first year of a project to advise and support New York's historical records programs, with emphasis on a program of re-grants to local institutions. ($130,406)

1989 – For a fellowship in archival administration. ($25,700)

1985, 1986 – A two-year project to develop a statewide records program to implement key recommendations of the board's 1984 report, Toward a Usable Past. ($163,850)

1981 – A project to analyze the current condition of historical records in the state, identify problems, frame potential solutions, and outline short- and long-term actions. ($25,000)

1979 – For consultation and financial assistance to 10 or more municipal governments in New York State, leading toward development of local government archival programs. ($155,344)