In response to Anita's original message and to the responses
          on HISTARCH:
 
          The National Endowment for the Humanities' Division of
          Preservation and Access supports projects that will preserve
          and increase the availability of resources important for
          research, education, and public programming in the
          humanities.  Projects may encompass collections of books,
          journals, newspapers, manuscript and archival materials,
          maps, still and moving image collections, sound recordings,
          and objects of material culture held by libraries, archives,
          museums, historical organizations, and other repositories.
          The division accepts applications that address problems of
          preservation and intellectual access related to unique
          collections -- including anthropological and archaeological
          field and laboratory records, illustrative materials (site
          maps and plans), and image collections (B&W still images,
          transparencies, etc.).
 
          The preservation microfilming or photocopying on archival
          quality (nonacidic) paper of site materials is appropriate
          in terms of current archival practices but attempting to
          "preserve" site records and "grey" literature by creating
          CD-ROM's is not.  CDs are not considered to be archival and
          deteriorate over time.  Furthermore, CDs are subject to
          pollution (especially dust), storage environment
          parameters (relative humidity and temperature ranges), and
          if the CD is damaged, the ENTIRE corpus of information
          cannot be retrieved -- it is LOST.  Current technologies
          cannot retrieve the data.  Further information about CD
          longevity is available from the National Media Laboratory in
          St. Paul, MN.  FAX 612/733-4340.
 
          At NEH I have a responsibility for still and moving image
          collections, recorded sound, magnetic media, and
          scanning/digitization in the Division of Preservation and
          Access.  I'm also a professional archaeologist
          (Mesoamerica, Central Asia, Eastern North America, East
          Africa) with particular interests in ceramics and
          settlement pattern analyses.
 
          If you have any questions, please contact me via telephone
          or e-mail (preferably the former); ask the secretary to send
          you a copy of our guidelines before attempting to develop a
          proposal:
 
          202/606-8570 or [log in to unmask]
 
          Charles C. Kolb
          National Endowment for the Humanities
          Division of Preservation and Access, Room 802
          1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
          Washington, DC  20506