Subject: Petition - NARA Research Room Hours of Access (deadlineSeptember 8) >I received this from another list and consider it valuable to be sent on >to > other researchers Please sign and forward to all as you desire. > > Hello, > > Researching at Washington DC NARA is a very special privilege. The new > hours > of accessibility limits, or eliminates, the use of NARA by many > genealogists > who research after they get off work or on weekends. Please take the time > to > respond as requested below. Your silence is a response indicating > agreement > to these new limited hours of operation! We need your voice to be heard! > Deadline for responses is September 8. > > When I planned my first trip to the National Archives in Washington DC > last > year, I did so knowing I could use Saturday and weekday evenings to > extend my > research time at NARA. It allowed me to take a small bit of time to enjoy > the rest of the DC area and the Cherry Blossom Festival. I thought, so > this is > what my tax dollars helps to > provide -- the ability for people all over the world, especially > Americans, > the freedom to enjoy our national monuments, learn of our history and > research our ancestors -- and its all free! Your vote really does count. > Help keep > access to NARA open to the working class who research in the evenings and > weekends. > > Kay Speaks > L-AGS Study Group > The following message was distributed to those attending last week's > Federation of Genealogical Societies in Boston. > > - ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -------------------- > Dear Conference Attendee: > > We were honored to have Dr. Allen Weinstein, Archivist of the United > States > attend the FGS/NEHGS 2006 Conference in Boston and to address us in the > Opening Session on Thursday, August 31, 2006. 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. > > It has come to our attention that very few of our constituencies are > making > their voices heard on this issue. This lack of response sends a loud > signal > to the Archives that this is not a serious issue and that closing the > Archives > on evenings and Saturdays is irrelevant. The RPAC has recommended the > following suggestions for the Archives to consider: > > 1) To accommodate the needs of those who need access on Saturdays, > we > propose that you close one other day per week. This would be at your > discretion. Other archives often close Sunday and Monday. > 2) Users who need evening hour access could be accommodated by > opening > the archives later in the day, again at your discretion. > > If you agree with the recommendations stated above, we are asking your > support by immediately going on-line and adding your "signature" to our > petition > to substitute the hours of access and still help the archives to meet > their > need to consolidate their hours of operation. Before 8 September 2006, > please > go to: > > http://www.petitiononline.com/FGS2006/petition.html > > If you would like to send your own personal letter, send it prior to 8 > September 2006 and address it to: > > Regulations Comments Desk (NPOL) > Room 4100, Policy and Planning Staff > National Archives and Records Administration > 8601 Adelphi Road > College Park, MD 20740-6001 > > ______________________________