Urgent: Please sign to preserve NYC Municipal Archives independence

An update on the merger of NYC records agencies DORIS and DCAS from Terry Koch-Bostic, Chapter Representative of the NY Metro Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) on March 12, 2012:

Next week there will be a meeting at the NYC Mayor's office with a small committee of archivists, genealogists and local historians at the request of Gale Brewer, Chair of the Committee for Governmental Affairs on the NYC Council. The issue of whether DORIS, the agency that manages the Municipal Archives and the mayoral records, should be merged with DCAS, a mega sized administrative agency, will be discussed. The mayor and his office are still pushing for the merger. Archival, genealogical and historical groups are still working to stop this merger as they see no benefit and a great deal of potential for endangering record access and preservation of NYC's records that are important to family, community, city and mayoral history. Gale Brewer and many of her committee members agree that this merger and new legislation should not take place. But your voice and your help are needed too. Please help by signing the petition by using the link directly below. At the ART website, scroll down the page to place your name and submit the petition (you do not need the sign in box or a password for ART). Also below, you will see the statement you will be supporting by signing this petition.

http://www.nycarchivists.org/doris_petition

We, the undersigned, are opposed to this legislation (Int. 486-2011), which would significantly downgrade the authority of the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) within City government and potentially put at risk its ability to preserve, protect and make accessible the intellectual legacy of one of the world’s greatest cities.

We are also asking that you forward this to researchers and fellow members of historical and genealogical societies and universities all over the US. This merger will impact anyone interested in NYC record access and preservation, no matter where they live. For additional information, click on this link:

https://nycarchivists.wufoo.com/reports/-int-no-4862011-signon-letter-/

About 1500 people have already signed from a number of different organizations and universities and as private individuals. We need more signatures and as quickly as possible before this legislation is passed. We need support for the preservation of DORIS as an autonomous records agency with the funding and professional respect it deserves, to allow our own and future generations, to have access to the records that tell all the stories that make up the fabric of this great city.

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