Proclamation
ARCHIVES WEEK 2009
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, archival institutions are instrumental in collecting, preserving, organizing, and making available records and materials that document the history of the state of North Carolina and the nation for present and future generations; that their efforts protect the rights and property of the state's citizens, and preserve much of North Carolina's rich and diverse heritage; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina State Archives, a section of the Division of Historical Resources, Office of Archives and History, Department of Cultural Resources, was one of the first state archival programs in the nation; and
WHEREAS, the first archivist of the United States of America was a North Carolinian; and
WHEREAS, state and local governments, colleges and universities, religious and medical institutions, libraries, historical societies, museums, and businesses throughout the state have established archives as a means of preserving our written history; and
WHEREAS, these archives collectively contain over 300 years of unique and irreplaceable materials ranging from hand-written letters and diaries to typewritten manuscripts, maps, photographs and other visual materials, motion pictures and sound recordings, and modern electronic data systems; and
WHEREAS, archivists and manuscript curators have a responsibility to preserve these materials and the duty to provide the public with access to their records, and it is the goal of these professionals to increase public awareness of the vital importance of safeguarding the documentary wealth of the state; and
WHEREAS, because of archival repositories and the dedicated professionals that work in them, every generation of North Carolinians can study the past and learn from the experiences and accomplishments of our predecessors, and understand the unique history of our state;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Beverly Eaves Perdue, Governor of the state of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim October 19 - 25, 2009, as ARCHIVES WEEK in North Carolina and encourage all North Carolinians to participate in the 2009 theme of Archives Week, "Celebrating the North Carolina Record."
Beverly Eaves Perdue
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this fourteenth day of October in the year two thousand and nine and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty third.
