FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2003

COSHRC, NAGARA, SAA Boards Hold Joint Meeting

An unprecedented meeting took place January 10-12, 2003, in Washington DC. For the first time, the governing boards of the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), and the Council of State Historical Records Coordinators (COSHRC) held their midwinter meetings concurrently.

Over the course of the three days, each board took time from its own busy agenda to visit with representatives of the other two organizations. A highlight of the weekend was a joint dinner sponsored by COSHRC with partial support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This opportunity for extended, informal discussions among all members was especially helpful in gaining insight into the direction each board is taking. It was the third time that NHPRC funds made it possible to bring leaders of these archival associations together. The previous two meetings in 2000 and 2001 were limited to the executive directors or presidents, however.
Through all of the formal conferencing and informal conversations, the leaders of the three associations were able to develop a better understanding of the common ground they share and identify ways in which collaborative efforts could benefit the memberships of all three.

Some of the discussions focused on practical matters like NAGARA’s 2003 annual meeting in Providence. Once again, COSHRC will hold its own annual meeting in conjunction with NAGARA, reinforcing the unique but complementary services that each provides to a common audience of state archivists. In addition, the boards laid tentative plans for a joint annual meeting of all three organizations in 2006 or 2007. In the interim, they each intend to sponsor sessions at the others’ annual meetings and work cooperatively to develop continuing education opportunities.
The three boards also identified several issues that they will address through coordinated efforts. One of these will be the pursuit of a policy prohibiting the sale of government records on eBay. Another will entail a broad, long-term effort to raise public awareness which will include the development of a case statement about the importance of historical records. In conjunction with this effort, the organizations will look for ways to provide training in public relations and advocacy for archival leaders and practitioners.

The NAGARA, COSHRC, and SAA boards will work throughout 2003 to implement specific plans and priorities identified during this meeting. They have also made plans to convene collectively again in January 2004 to continue their coordinated efforts.