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December 14, 2016--SAA President Nance McGovern today provided comments to National Public Radio about a story on the efforts of a group of volunteers to preserve the history of the Pennsylvania Rail Company:
In a December 12 story on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, Eleanor Klibanoff reported on the efforts of a group of volunteers to preserve the historical records of the Pennsylvania Rail Company ("Devoted Volunteers Keep History of Pennsylvania Rail Company on Track"). On behalf of the Society of American Archivists, I want to applaud the commitment and work undertaken by this group to ensure that this important information is not lost. Without such efforts by dedicated volunteers, much of the documentation of critical organizations, people, and events in our history would vanish from the historical record. The Lewistown Railroad volunteers have an excellent relationship with the Pennsylvania State Archives and have conscientiously applied professional knowledge to their preservation efforts. We strongly urge others who want to preserve endangered historical records to reach out to their state archives or to the Society of American Archivists for advice, guidance, and connections that can assist in their efforts.
I just read the SAA's comments on the NPR story about volunteers preserving records. It's great to see recognition of these efforts, but I wish there was more support for such crucial work. Preservation is vital for maintaining our history. On a lighter note, after diving into all this serious stuff, I spent some time on Math Playground. It's a nice break and a good reminder that learning can be fun too!
We highly advise anybody else interested in preserving historically significant materials that are at jeopardy to seek guidance from their state archives or the Society of American Archivists.