HELP NARA GET FUNDING! DEADLINE IS TOMORROW!

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has proposed a change in their opening hours: they plan to eliminate all evening and Saturday access to researchers. Although it is not specifically mentioned in the proposed rule change, it is likely that this change will also apply to the NARA branches, including the Waltham facility.
Since NARA is a federal agency, they have to make any proposed service changes available to the public and request comment. Comments are requested through September 8, 2006. Details are in the Federal Register, vol. 71, no. 142, pages 42058-42060.
This change will effectively close the federal records held at NARA to working people. We consider this a major issue for genealogical researchers.
The following letter to the Archivist of the United States, who is in charge of NARA, was released at the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference that was held last week in Boston. Please read it. There is a link at the end for the petition that is being circulated regarding the closure of the NARA facilities. Almost 8,000 people have signed the petition. Please join them, or write your own letter directly. The address is at the end.
Thank you for your time. This is important to all of us.
Mary Ellen Grogan
Vice-President
Massachusetts Genealogical Council
LETTER TO ALLEN WEINSTEIN
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 (Case sensitive)
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