On November 1, the State Archives of Georgia will be become the first in the U.S. to close its doors to researchers if the current proposed budget is passed. The severe budget cut will force the Archives to reduce its already depleted staff, and many of our colleages will loose their jobs. Patrons will be required to make research appointments to view materials, but the Archives cannot guarantee that they will be able to provide much research access at all. This action sets a dangerous precedent not just for Georgia, but for all publicly-funded archives.
To learn more about this crisis, read the Atlanta Business Journal’s article on the impending closure: http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2012/09/13/georgia-archives-closing-due-to-budget.html
You can also:
1) Sign the petition at Change.org – https://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-ga-leave-our-state-archives-open-to-the-public
2) Join and follow the Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiansAgainstClosingStateArchives for updates on the situation.
