Archives and Records Projects
The NHPRC supports projects to facilitate the use of historical records held by archives and other repositories and to assure their long-term preservation.
We also support identifying, collecting, describing, reformatting (including microfilming and other means of reproduction and migration), and preserving documentary sources significant to the history and culture of the United States.
This program also supports projects to develop tools and techniques for the profession and projects to address professional education activities.
The NHPRC Records Program supports archival projects at local government archives, colleges and universities, and other nonprofit institutions. These projects all facilitate use of public records and other collections by scholars, family and local historians, journalists, documentary film makers, and many others. Approximately half of the NHPRC's funds since 1979 have helped preserve and make accessible literally millions of cubic feet of documents and archives.
Our grants have helped to:
- Establish or modernize public records programs in Seattle; Boston; San Diego; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Fairfax, Virginia; Troup County, Georgia; Manchester, New Hampshire; Lauderdale County, Mississippi; Rochester, New York; and Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania and other communities.
- Preserve and make accessible oral history and tribal records of American Indian tribes - including the Seneca, Blackfoot, Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux, Ramah Navajo, Oglala Sioux, Zuni Pueblo, Fort Sill Apache, Suquamish, and dozens more. Provide educational opportunities for tribal archivists through the Western Archives Institute.
- Support nonprofit institutions as they enhance public access to historical documents in their care. The NHPRC has awarded in excess of $50 million since 1976 through several hundred grants to colleges, universities and other organizations with collections of personal papers, photographic collections of all types, architectural plans and drawings, ship designs, film and video footage, and sound recordings.
- Enable the creation of dozens of "cyber archives" which make massive amounts of primary source material available via the Web. Photoswest.org, for example, is an online database that contains selections from the Denver Public Library Western History/Genealogy Department and the Colorado Historical Society - bringing some 100,000 images from Colorado's history to viewers.
E-mail:
Telephone: 202-357-5010 
Fax: 202-357-5914