In a message dated 97-05-26 13:44:30 EDT, [email protected] writes: > "John H Carlin, former Governor of Kansas an now the country's top > archivist, is proposing a program to close all 12 of the regional archive > locations. <SNIP>... > Carlin proposes to build two mega-archives, perhaps in Washington, DC and > in either California or Kansas. The plan calls for all of the microfilm in > the present archives to be deposited in university libraries and public > libraries-neither of which has the space nor staff to accommodate the > millions of researchers who use these regional archives. Presently the > regional archives have trained, professional staff persons in place. Here's the angry letter I sent today. It was typed in a haste so please correct spelling and other errors as you see fit. -Yigal Rechtman [email protected] ======= CUT AND SEND TODAY ! ======== <Your Name & Address> <date> The National Archives 8601 Adelphi Road College Park, MD 20740-6001 Re: Hon. John H Carlin's Proposal I write to you this Memorial Day to condem and strongly oppose Mr. Carlin's proposal as ridicoulos and un-realistic. The offer, to close the 12 branches of the National Archives and to create - for political reasons - 2 Mega Archives can be described in one word: Stupid. The twelve centers of the Archives service a large population of Historians and Students of this Nations Heritage; A relocation to Washington DC will create a harder than ever central goverment agency (do we need more goverment agencies?) which in turn will be inaccessible to those living far from Washington. It is evident that the proposal to bring the other Mega Archive to Kansas State is a political manouver of resources (read: Money) of whice no doubt Mr. Carlin will reap much benefit. Please do not let such a greedy, diansourous apaptite (yet small on the brain side) proposal to ever get beyond the hot air that formulate them when Mr. Carlin made such a suggestion. Indeed, the National Archives does a terrific job at their current locations and staffing, and dissolving their existence as we know it will bring an entire history down, inaccesible to learners of our past, and looming over our future. Thank you for considering my objection. <Your Name>