AZAA Blog Post May 2022

Welcome to the Arizona Archives Alliance (AzAA) blog! If you would like to be featured on the AzAA blog regarding the archival work you or your institution is doing please contact us at azarchivesalliance@arizonaarchives

Happy start of summer! For our May post, we invited our Arizona State Archivist, Laura Palma-Blandford, to talk about grants available to archives in Arizona. We can all use a little funding for a project, right?

We all have fantastic ideas about projects that preserve Arizona history or make it more accessible to the public. Bringing those projects to life, however, can be a challenge. Who will work on this project? What supplies do I need? Where am I going to get the money? Where do I even begin? These questions swirl around in the air, clouding your ideas and progress. But help is available. One of the best avenues to explore to start a project is grants. Today, I am sharing an especially useful one that starts out at the federal level.

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), an outreach arm of the National Archives and Records Administration, is dedicated to promoting the preservation and use of America’s documentary heritage essential to understanding our democracy, history, and culture. NHPRC provides funding to state programming boards to further their mission. In Arizona, this grant is managed by the Arizona Historical Records Advisory Board (AHRAB). AHRAB has a long history of receiving this grant money (thanks to previous State Archivists Melanie Sturgeon and Dennis Preisler for writing them) and our latest request was approved.

AHRAB uses its grant money for several projects that align with the five goals identified through its 2018-2022 Action Plan Protecting Arizona’s Documentary Heritage: preservation, access, promotion, education, and advocacy. AHRAB uses its NHPRC grant money to support the yearly Arizona Archives Summit, the publication of the Arizona Archives Month poster, the Professional Archivist Development Project, and the re-grant program. 

The re-grant program is one of those resources that your institution can use to bring those challenging projects to life and AHRAB is excited to launch another round of grants focused on enhancing access to historical records, increasing citizen engagement with records, and providing learning and development opportunities for students, citizens, and archivists. Previous awardees have used the grant to purchase archival shelving, archival supplies, scanning and digitization, training, programming, and contractors. Awards range from $200 to $4000 and are available to non-profits, public, or private institutions such as libraries, historical societies; educational institutions; community organizations; professional organizations; and local or state government agencies. The 2018-2022 Action Plan has a wonderful list of past projects and I encourage everyone to read it for inspiration and planning.  The Action Plan is available through AHRAB’s website: https://azlibrary.gov/about/boards-and-commissions/arizona-historical-records-advisory-board

To assist institutions, I will be hosting workshops for those institutions who would like assistance with their proposal before submitting them for review. If you would like to participate in one of the workshops, please call 602-926-3720 to confirm 24 hours prior to the date of the workshop.

Tuesday May 10, 2022 10:00 – 11:00 am

Monday May 23, 2022 3:00 – 4:00 pm

The Details

To apply: 

Submit the Arizona Historical Records Advisory Board Grant Proposal Form describing your project by June 1^st, 2022. You can find the form at: https://azlibrary.gov/about/boards-and-commissions/arizona-historical-records-advisory-board

Proposals will not be considered if missing the budget portion. Proposals must be typed.

Send proposals to: 

Or send electronically to lblandford@azlibrary.gov

What AHRAB Will Fund

Projects that address funding priorities and key recommendations in its 2018-2022 Action Plan, including:

A – Evaluation and promotion of documentation of Arizona history

B – Support for archival education and training

C – Support for preservation training for records creators, keepers, and users

D – Preservation of tribal/ethnic oral histories

E – Efforts to strengthen the historical records community through collaborative action

F – Preservation of permanent/historical records

Eligible activities

Workshops, preservation, access to collections including digitization projects, and consultants’ assistance

What AHRAB Will Not Fund

AHRAB funds cannot be used: 

• to construct, renovate, furnish, or purchase a building or land
• to purchase manuscripts or other historical records
• to exhibit or conserve archaeological artifacts, museum objects, or works of art
• to undertake historical research apart from the editing of documentary publications
• to undertake an oral history project unrelated to Native Americans
• to catalog, acquire, or preserve books, periodicals, newspapers, or other library materials
• to acquire, preserve, or describe art objects, sheet music, or other works primarily of value as works of art or entertainment
• to undertake a documentary editing project to publish the papers of someone who has been deceased for fewer than ten years
• to undertake an archival project centered on the papers of an appointed or elected public official who remains in major office, or is politically active, or most of whose papers have not yet been accessioned in a repository
• to undertake an arrangement, description, or preservation project in which the pertinent documents are privately owned or deposited in an institution subject to withdrawal upon demand for reasons other than requirements of law
• to undertake arrangement, description, or preservation projects involving Federal government records that are (a) in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), or (b) in the custody of some other Federal agency, or (c) have been deposited in a non-Federal institution without an agreement authorized by NARA.
• expenses incurred before the project began

How to Apply
Complete the Grant Proposal Form available at https://azlibrary.gov/about/boards-and-commissions/arizona-historical-records-advisory-board

• identify your organization
• provide a brief description of your project and its importance
• include the name and signature of your authorizing official (e.g., Board President, Treasurer) and the name of a contact person (the person most likely to be familiar with the project)
• identify the requested grant amount and cash or in-kind match
  

Who May Apply

Non-profit, public, or private organizations, such as repositories (libraries, historical societies, museums), educational institutions, community organizations, professional associations, and local or state government agencies.

What are the Limits for Funding and What is the Recipient Expected to Commit To?
Grants range from $200 to $4000. Please try to break your project into discrete sections in case AHRAB cannot fund your entire amount. Recipients must contribute the equivalent of 25% or more of the award in money or in-kind support. 

Anticipated release of funds: July 1, 2022