Press/Journalists

Press Release nr01-49
Press Release · Monday, April 9, 2001

Washington, DC

Press Release
April 9, 2001
President Proposes Budget Help for the National Archives and Records Administration

President George W. Bush has proposed budget increases for Fiscal Year 2002 that would enable the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to take the next steps to build the electronic records archives of the future and advance initiatives under NARA's Strategic Plan.

The President's budget request includes $20 million for NARA's Electronic Records Archives, the program through which NARA is developing solutions for preserving and providing access to the records of the Federal Government in the digital age.

"I am especially pleased that the President has recognized the critical importance of dealing with our electronic records challenges," said Archivist of the United States John W. Carlin. "These resources would allow us, with help from our partners, to further define our research agenda of archival and technical questions for development of the Electronic Records Archives, collaborate in sponsoring research to answer these questions, and begin translating the research results into engineering solutions that work."

NARA, along with the National Science Foundation and other partners in support of the National Partnership for Advanced Computational Infrastructure, has been in research and development to build an Electronic Records Archives that can preserve any kind of electronic record, free it from the format in which it was created, retain it indefinitely, and enable requesters to read it on computer systems now in use and coming in the future. The system is being designed to be scalable so that it could be used by smaller archives than NARA, including those of state and local governments and private institutions.

The President's budget also includes $1,135,000 to help NARA to preserve and process electronic records from the Clinton White House and $237,000 to pilot the implementation of a records management application at NARA.

For other NARA strategic initiatives, the President's request includes $4,970,000 to expand opportunities for citizens and Federal agencies to use more NARA services electronically and to meet the requirements of the Government Paperwork Elimination Act. Among the new services this funding would allow us to offer would be the online submission of forms and the online ordering of copies of records and merchandise.

The Federal Register would receive $1,442,000 to implement an Electronic Editing and Publishing System and further develop its electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR). The Eisenhower Presidential Library would receive $1,288,000 and the Ford Library and Museum $4,405,000 to house records and artifacts in more appropriate space, increase available space through compact shelving, renovate exhibit space, and improve accessibility for visitors. And the request includes $1,503,000 to complete the staffing of the Clinton Presidential Library and accelerate the processing of Clinton Administration records in preparation for the opening of the library.

The grants program of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), which NARA administers, was funded at $4,436,000.

The President's budget request to the Congress totals $259,326,000 in all accounts, which break down as follows:

  • Operating expenses: $244,247,000
  • Facility repairs and restorations: $ 10,643,000
  • NHPRC grants: $ 4,436,000

For additional PRESS information, please contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (301) 837-1700 or by e-mail.

01-49

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