The Grant for the AFS Archives, March 1987

CNerthe past three years AFShas ffi3dea series of applications for financial assistance fran the National Historical Publications and RecordCCmnissicnof the National Archives of the United States.

In 1985 the NHPRC gave AFSa grant for the purpose of employingan archivist ccnsultant, Hr. TlxInasttJilsted, to makerecarm:=ndationsleading to the developIrel1tof an archival program.

As a follow-up to this cxmsultancy, AFSengaged a records managercent con sultant, Hr. Tyr<:neButler, to outline steps for the developrent of an AFS rea:>rdsmanagarent systan, of which AFSArchives WJU1d re an integral part.

Finally, in March1987, \\~ receivErl \\Ordthat the CCrnnissionhad granted AFS for the 1987-89 periGo to urrlerwrite the rost of engaging an experienced professional archivist, and to secure the services of a aJrlservation specialist consultant. $50,585

AFSArchives shCuld serve a dual role: 1) to preserve and makereadily aa::essible the historical material it ooIds, and 2) to serve as a resource center for all current N'S staff and volunteers, i.e. to re the final records center of an organization-wide records managEID2I1t system.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

CorpJrate records.

Personnel records.

Organization correspondence and program records.

N'S SCoolarship Programp:rrticipants' rosters.

Photographs.

FiJm and sourrl recordings.

In addition, archives also holds large numbersof personal letters, diaries, arrl scrapl:xx::>ks fran AFSpersonnel in w:>r Id War I arrl Yklr Id war II, proclarrations am fOsters, letters and testimJnials fran internationally knCM'n personages, an:1 a specialized library of 500 volurres.

"In the offices at AFSHeadquarters in NewYork, AFSis storing approxinately 3300 cubic feet of records in prine office space, 700 cubic feet at an off-site privdte storage warehouse, and awroximately 300 cemputer tapes at another off-

site private storage facility".

Butler, 4/1/86).

1.

(RecordsM3nagerrentConsultant Report, Tyrone G.

preserve, organize and provide access to existing records arrl material of historical value, and of im[X>rcance in tile daily rosiness of the organization.

'Ib

'Ib develop a records managementsystan of which the archives will be an active part to receive, arrange, catalogue, and makereadily accessible records of long-term legal and operational use.

1.

A larger and better trained staff under the leadership of a professional archivist;

2.

Increased space an::1improvedstorage provisions (AFShas urrlertaken to provide this);

3.

Cbnsultant services to assist the staff in preservation efforts arrl to rronitor steps taken in the developrent of a records managerrentsystan;

4.

A programof microfilm/microfiche to provide copies of deteriorating records of historical value, and to conserve space by disp:>singof hard copies of other records which are functicnally valuable rot not intrinsically so.

5.

A microccrnp..1ter systan canpatible with the nain fram=and with the capability to perform the starrlard functions of an archival information systan, ooth in v.Drdprocessing and data base managerrent,i. e. , a.

for the developrent of the collection (form design, distril::ution, corresporrlence, legal docurtEnts, analysis and follow-up);

b.

for control (processing, form design, description, analysis) ;

c.

for reference services (collecting and analyzing infonnation, sch2duling, reference guides);

itan tracking,

In accepting the NHPOC grant, AFShas nade the camUt::Irentto establish the p::>sitionof archivist as a permanentstaff p::>sitionand to provide an adequate b.Jdget to insure the continuance and the effective operation of an AFSArchive/ Fesource center/Records M3.nagenent SystEm. To oversee the functioning of this systEmAFSis establishing a pernanent carmittee.

AFSArchives 23 Harch 1987