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1981

Ronald Reagan proposes ending federal arts and humanities programs in a bid to control government spending; budget submitted to Congress provides no funding for NHPRC beyond September 30 (GM)

the US Presidential Records Act took effect.

After a three-year NHPRC grant to develop a model urban archives and records program, The City of Portland, Oregon Archives and Records Center is established consolidating most of the city's archival collection in one facility. The opening ceremonies included special guest U.S. Archivist Robert Warner. (BKJ)

1983

Three women's history projects--the papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony (U.Mass), the papers of Jane Addams (Duke University), and the papers of Emma Goldman (U.Cal-Berkeley)--join to pull together far-flung documents. (GM)

Society of Tennessee Archivists founded. (DD2)

Society of Florida Archivists founded. (JB)

Archives Act 1983 (Australia) is passed by the Australian Parliament, although not proclaimed until 6 June 1984, and formally establishes the Australian Archives. (AW)

1984

The Society of North Carolina Archivists established at its first meeting in Chapel Hill.

Northern Territory Archives Service established. (AW)

The Society of American Archivists establishes roundtables of at least 30 members. The first two roundtables were the Archival History Roundtable and the Congressional Records Roundtable. (RJ)

1985

City of Seattle receives a two-year NHPRC grant to establish a municipal archives program, effective February 14, 1985. Following the grant period, the Seattle Municipal Archives becomes a City General Fund program. (SC)

Independence for the US National Archives is secured on October 19, 1984 when President Reagan signs P.L. 98-497, establishing the National Archives and Records Administration as an independent federal agency, effective April 1, 1985. (GM)

Southern Archives Conference founded with membership of the state societies of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana. (RJ)

1986

The Rare Books and Manuscritpts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College & Research Libraies (ACRL) begins publication of Rare Books and Manuscripts Librarianship. (RJ)

Helen W. Samuels' article "Who Controls the Past?" outlining archival documentation strategy is published in The American Archivist. (BS)

1987

February - Major conference held with editors, historians, librarians and publishers to examine myriad issues about documentary publishing; group alarmed at decreasing sales of volumes and price increases. (GM)

Australian Society of Archivists publishes first edition of Keeping Archives. (AW)

the National Archives of Canada Act was proclaimed.

1988

Southern Archives Conference holds its first meeting at the University of Mississippi.

State Archives of Western Australia becomes part of the new Library and Information Service of Western Australia. (AW)

1989

NHPRC calls upon states to establish State Historical Records Advisory Boards (SHRABs) to provide review for proposals submitted to the Commission. (GM)

Academy of Certified Archivists founded. (RJ)

the International Records Management Trust (IMRT) was founded.

Archives Office of Tasmania separated from the Tasmanian State Library. (AW)

1990

NHPRC appropriations rise to $5 million after many years of hope. (GM)

Frederic M. Miller writes Arranging and Describing Archives and Manuscripts. (AL)

South African Society of Archivists begins publication of South African Archives Journal. (RJ)

Česká archivní společnost (Czech Archive Society) is founded. (RJ)

1991

The Documentary History of the First Federal Congress project publishes a look at the sometimes raucous history behind Creating the Bill of Rights, now a standard part of the library for constitutional lawyers. (GM)

1992

February 20 - Mrs. Coretta Scott King is among the guests at a reception at the U. S. Capitol to celebrate Called to Serve, the first volume of The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr., a selective edition of the 20th century's greatest civil rights leader's speeches, sermons, correspondence, and other papers. (GM)

Society of Rocky Mountain Archivists formed when Wyoming archivists requested membership in the Society of Colorado Archivists (founded in 1979). (RJ)

Prior to the 1992 election, Congress passes and President Bush signs an appropriations bill that cuts funding by 7 percent for FY 1993, funds no proposals for new editing projects, and postpones subventions. In response, the NHPRC divides the cut evenly between publications and records. (GM)

National Archives of Hungary founded. (RJ)

Helen Samuels writes Varsity Letters: Documenting Modern Colleges and Universities, which describes functional analysis as a method of activist documentation. (BS)

1993

Bhaktivedanta Archives moves to North Carolina.

Society of American Archivists begins chartering student chapters. The first chapters were established at the University of Texas-Austin, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Pittsburg, and University of Michigan. (RJ)

1994

National Archives II- the largest archive in the world, is formally dedicated in College Park, MD by President Bill Clinton

1995

Nebraska State Historical Society opens the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center in Omaha, NE. (TMM)

Mal d'Archive: Une Impression Freudienne by Jaques Derrida is published.

Sami Archives (in Sami, Sámi Arkiiva; in Norwegian, Samisk arkiv) founded in Guovdageaidnu-Kautokeino, Norway. (EO)

1996

By the end of FY 1996, NHPRC funds totaling $2.75 million have gone to 17 states, which in turn supported 483 projects in state and local government archives, libraries, and historical societies, universities and colleges, and other organizations. (GM)

Romania adopted a new Archival Act (Law no. 16). (BFP)

Archive Fever by Jaques Derrida is published in English. The book becomes probably the seminal text in the postmodern deconstruction of the archive.

The National Archives and the NHPRC join the information revolution by launching the NARA web site, and on June 28, 1996, the Commision goes online. (GM)

The Records Management Roundtable (RMRT) of the Society of American Archivists has its first meeting at the SAA annual meeting in San Diego. (RJ)

1997

The US Department of Defense publishes the first edition of its Design Criteria Standard For Electronic Records Management Software Applications, often referred to as US DOD 5015.2. This is the first significant standard for the functionality of electronic records management systems, and although developed for Defense it soon becomes a de facto standard for much of the US government. (MMF)

1998

Creation of Encoded Archival Description. (JT)

1999

Consortium of Iowa Archivists (CIA) founded. (RJ

Minnesota Government Records and Information Network (MN GRIN) founded. (JLM)

Yale University launches its first records management program in anticipation of its 300th year in 2001. (SEC)

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