Genealogists have long been active proponents supporting archival repositories. Many genealogists are concerned for our colleagues that suffered serious damage during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Society of Southwest Archivists and the Society of American Archivists are pleased to announce the formation of an Emergency Disaster Assistance Grant Fund-a fund established to address the stabilization and recovery needs of archival repositories that have been directly affected by hurricanes.
Any repository that holds archival records or special collections and that is located in the hurricane-affected areas of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Texas or Mississippi is eligible to apply for this grant. The repository need not be a member of SSA or SAA. One-hundred percent of the funding raised through the EDA grant is being directed to repositories in need, which will help them salvage records from wet and moldy conditions and eventually reopen to researchers, including genealogists, in the future. Focus on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is fading fast, though archives are still struggling. Though there are a number of other hurricane relief funds established by various entities throughout the country, the SSA/SAA grant fund is the only one established by archivists for archival repositories.
Anyone who wishes to make a donation may donate in one of two ways:
- Via the web at http://www.ssacares.org or http://www.archivists.org and follow the links to the online donation form, payment with Visa or MasterCard
- A check made payable to the Society of American Archivists with a note that it is for the SSA/SAA grant fund. Mail to SAA; 527 Wells St., 5th Floor; Chicago, IL 60607.
Thank you in advance for your support of the archives and archivists who are needing this assistance to stabilize their collections and proceed with recovery efforts.
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