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| New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board | |
|---|---|
| Name | New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board |
| Formation | 1978 |
| Type | State historical records advisory board |
| Headquarters | Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Region served | New Mexico |
| Parent organization | National Historical Publications and Records Commission |
New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board provides statewide leadership for documentary preservation, archival access, and records management in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded to coordinate efforts among state repositories, tribal archives, university special collections, and local historical societies, the board works with federal programs and cultural institutions to preserve manuscripts, oral histories, photographic collections, and government records. Its activities intersect with a wide range of institutions and figures from the territorial period through contemporary cultural stewardship.
The board traces roots to the creation of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission during the Jimmy Carter administration and to earlier archival initiatives connected to New Mexico State Archives and University of New Mexico Libraries. Early collaborators included the New Mexico Historical Society, Palace of the Governors, and tribal cultural programs such as efforts by the Pueblo of Acoma and Navajo Nation cultural departments. During the 1980s and 1990s the board responded to preservation crises involving collections from Fort Union National Monument, the papers of territorial governors like Miguel A. Otero, and photographic troves linked to photographers such as Ansel Adams and Laura Gilpin. The turn of the 21st century saw partnerships with New Mexico Highlands University, San Juan College, and the Bureau of Land Management to address digitization and disaster preparedness following events that affected repositories like the New Mexico State University Special Collections and historical records at Los Alamos National Laboratory archives.
The board’s mission aligns with the mandates of the National Archives and Records Administration and the Library of Congress to promote preservation planning, access, and use of primary sources. It advises institutions including New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, county clerks in Bernalillo County, and municipal archives in Albuquerque. Core functions include assessing archival needs at institutions such as New Mexico Military Institute, advising on records retention policies for entities like the New Mexico Supreme Court records, supporting oral history initiatives tied to figures like Evelyn Waugh collectors and Hispanic community projects associated with Plaza histories, and facilitating training with professional organizations such as the Society of American Archivists and the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums.
The board comprises appointees representing repositories, academic libraries, tribal cultural departments, and public records officials, with members nominated by bodies including the New Mexico Historical Society and the Governor of New Mexico. Membership has historically included archivists from University of New Mexico, curators from the Museum of International Folk Art, librarians from Santa Fe Public Library, and tribal representatives affiliated with communities such as the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Pueblo of Isleta. Governance follows bylaws modeled on practices endorsed by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and incorporates liaisons from the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives and legal counsel familiar with statutes like the New Mexico Open Records Act and state archival law.
The board coordinates grant reviews and project development for initiatives that have included digitization of collections at institutions such as the New Mexico State University Library, conservation treatment projects for manuscripts connected to territorial figures like Thomas B. Catron, and community-based oral history programs partnering with the Hispano Chamber of Commerce of Albuquerque. It has promoted projects documenting the histories of sites like Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, railroad archives tied to Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and Hispanic land grant documentation involving families associated with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Training workshops have been held with partners such as the Council of State Archivists, the American Association for State and Local History, and regional museum professionals from the Roswell Museum and Art Center.
Funding and partnerships have drawn from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and state allocations through the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Collaborative grants have linked the board with university press projects at the University of New Mexico Press, digitization consortia that include DPLA-affiliated institutions, and local philanthropy such as support from the McCune Charitable Foundation and the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Strategic alliances extend to federal partners including the National Park Service for battlefield and monument records, the Smithsonian Institution for collection standards, and the National Endowment for the Humanities for documentary editing and access initiatives.
The board’s initiatives have enhanced access to manuscript collections relating to territorial governors, civil rights advocates such as members of the American Civil Liberties Union chapters active in New Mexico, and cultural figures documented by photographers like Imogen Cunningham and writers collected by the Hispanic Research Center at the University of New Mexico. Notable projects include statewide survey reports used by the State Historic Preservation Office to guide preservation priorities, disaster response planning templates adopted by county archives in Doña Ana County, and digitization programs that increased discoverability of records in repositories such as the New Mexico Museum of Art and tribal archives of the Taos Pueblo. The board’s work continues to influence scholarship by researchers at institutions including Harvard University, University of Arizona, and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and supports public history projects at venues like the Albuquerque Museum and the Las Cruces Museum of Art.
Category:Archives in New Mexico