> ----- Original Message ----- > > Subject: [HN] National Archives and Records > > > This message is originally from Dick Eastman, author of Eastman's Online > Genealogy Newsletter, who just returned from the FGS Conference and asked > that this message be passed along by his subscribers. Note: There are only a > few days left to sign this petition. If you've been planning a long weekend > in Washington, D.C. for research, this will directly affect your plans. > ---------------------------------- > > Quick! Please Join FGS Attendees in Petition About NARA Opening Hours! > > The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recently > proposed a reduction in the number of hours that the agency's facilities are > open to the general public. Weekend and evening hours would be especially > curtailed. The result will be a major hardship on genealogists, especially > those who cannot visit during normal business hours. > > > Dr. Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United States and head of the National > Archives and Records Administration, attended the FGS/NEHGS 2006 Conference > in Boston this week and addressed the Opening Session on Thursday. Following > his remarks, he was presented with a letter by the Chair of the Records > Preservation and Access Committee (RPAC) addressing concerns about the > proposed changes in the hours of operation for the Research Rooms at the > National Archives. > > > The members of that committee have been told that very few genealogists have > responded to the agency's proposal. In this case, silence will be > interpreted as agreement! Comments close on September 8. There's not much > time left! > > > A discussion ensued among many of the genealogists present at the > conference, resulting in a petition to ask for reconsideration. I was able > to upload that petition, and conference attendees were asked to sign the > online petition through announcements over the public address session, at > the Friday evening banquet, in many of the sessions, and in the hallways. > Many people lined up at computers supplied by many of the vendors and added > their names to the petition. Others signed the petition from their laptops > in hotel rooms, from the hotel's public access computers in the lobby, and > elsewhere. I hope that others returned home and will sign the petition from > there. > > > As I write these words, 651 names are on this petition. We need more, many > more, In fact, we need YOUR name. > > > Just before the close of comments by the National Archives and Records > Administration, this petition will be printed and sent to the agency via > overnight mail. > > > With the limited amount of time left until the close of comments, > genealogists everywhere need you to immediately copy and paste this or > similar messages and send them to your friends, asking them to add their > "electronic signatures" to the petition. Please post information about the > petition on web sites, newsletters, and mailing lists as you deem > appropriate. We need to have as many signatures as possible from concerned > U.S. residents BEFORE September 8. > > > To add your voice to the messages being sent to the National Archives, > please go to http://www.petitiononline.com/FGS2006. > > > NOTE: The letters "FGS" in the above web address MUST be in upper case. > > > ______________________________________________ > > Hannover-L mailing list > Hannover-L@genealogy.net > http://list.genealogy.net/mailman/listinfo/hannover-l > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NYCAYUGA-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message