A new offering from the Roving Archivist Program!

Through grant funding from the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the Massachusetts State Historical
Records Advisory Board (MA SHRAB) is pleased to provide funding for the
purchase of supplies and materials needed to arrange, describe, preserve, and
make accessible archival collections. In addition to the supplies, the grant supports
repositories to be paired with a paid Archival Field Fellow trained in archival
management who will rehouse and process a collection. The Field Fellows will
work onsite processing an archival collection and be supervised remotely by the
Roving Archivist thus increasing hands-on assistance to Massachusetts cultural
heritage repositories.

Repositories will work directly with the Roving Archivist to determine an appropriate collection for processing and the necessary archival supplies. The MA SHRAB will then pair repositories with an Archival Field Fellow (paid directly by SHRAB) who will arrange and describe the collection. The processing project will require approximately 60 hours and be completed by the Field Fellow within two months, working full-time or part-time as determined by the repository and Fellow. After rehousing, arranging, and describing the collection, the Field Fellow will work with the institution to share online the collection information or finding aid as well as write a blog post about the Fellowship site and project for the MA SHRAB blog.

Application Deadline: July 10, 2019

Requirements:

  • Applicants provide matching funds or services
    covering 25% of the regrant they are requesting from the MA SHRAB.
  • Applicants have received a Strategic Assessment
    and Program Review through the MA SHRAB Roving Archivist program.
  • Before the Archival Field Fellowship,
    repositories must have relevant policies in place
    such as an articulated collection scope, accession policy, retention schedule,
    and deed-of-gift.
  • Repositories must have a
    computer for use by the Field Fellow and be willing to explore ways of sharing
    collection descriptions online. 
  • Institutions who receive funds agree to
    the use of their name in promotional materials for the program and will work with
    the SHRAB and Roving Archivist to include the collections in the Commonwealth
    Historical Collaborative directory and catablog (chc.library.umass.edu).

Maximum Application Amount for Supplies: $500

How to Apply:

To apply for a Regrant and Archival Field Fellow through
the Massachusetts SHRAB Roving Archivist Program, please submit a document, not
to exceed 10 pages in length, which provides the following information:

  1. Application date
  2. Institution name
  3. Institution address
  4. Name, title and contact information for person who
    will be primary contact for Fellow
  5. Brief history and description of your
    organization
  6. Estimated amount for your request
  7. Description and price quotes of supplies for
    which funds are requested (please be as specific as possible – ex: 50 12×15
    Blue-Grey Board Letter Document Cases)
  8. DUNS Number (see information below)
  9. Description of collection selected for
    processing (please provide information on the collection extent, preservation
    condition, and the type of formats included, ie. papers, photos, oversized
    drawings, etc.). If necessary, a suggested processing project can be explored
    further in dialog with the Roving Archivist.
  10. Indicate how collection description are
    currently shared (website, PastPerfect, Commonwealth Historical Collaborative,
    etc.)
  11. Indicate hours your repository is open OR would
    be able to open for the Fellow.
  12. Indicate preferred months for hosting the Fellow.
  13. How did you learn about the fellowship program?
  14. Have you received a Roving Archivist grant
    previously? If so, in what category?
  15. What benefits do you expect through
    participation in this program?
  16. How the institution will meet its funding match

To increase the speed of funding release, a hardcopy,
institutional W-9 form with a wet signature is requested at the time of
application. Please also include a letter from your institution’s CEO/Director
or Chair of the Board providing a Statement of Commitment to participate in
this.

Submission
Information
:

Please send this information to Massachusetts SHRAB

c/o Massachusetts Archives – Secretary of the
Commonwealth

220 Morrissey Blvd

Boston, MA 02125

Attn: Dr. John Warner

Or via email to SHRAB@sec.state.ma.us with
subject line “Regrant and Archival Field Fellowship”

Organizational matching funds or services must cover at
least 25% of the regrant. This can be achieved three ways:

  • A direct cash match
  • In-kind services. Volunteer and staff time
    qualify as in-kind donations.  The
    Massachusetts value of a volunteer hour is $31.17 (for details see, http://independentsector.org/volunteer_time#sthash.qr6UJ9u3.V3hsYIqU.dpbs).
    Institutions will need to submit a time sheet documenting the in-kind time to
    the MA SHRAB for submission to the NHPRC.
  • Direct cash and in-kind combination.