NARA: National Archives Plans Closure of Anchorage Facility and Plans to Consolidate Other Facilities

From the Anchorage Daily News:

The National Archives and Records Administration plans to close its facility in Anchorage this year, and aims to move the millions of pages of documents housed there to Seattle.
The closure, expected to be announced Tuesday, comes as part of a cost-cutting effort that the agency says will save more than $1 million annually, and includes consolidating other facilities in Philadelphia and Fort Worth, Tex.
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The notice sent to NARA staff last week says that the two employees who work at the Anchorage facility would be relocated, with the federal government paying their expenses.
NARA says it will save $1.5 million annually from the closure in Anchorage, and the consolidations in Texas and Philadelphia, according to the notice.
That money “can be reinvested in our staff and in programs that expand access, improve customer service, and increase public engagement with our records,” the notice says.
The agency’s budget request for the next fiscal year is $377 million, down $10 million from the year before.

Read the Complete Article
See Also: NARA Anchorage Web Page
 

UPDATE: Here’s the Full Text of a Statement Made by David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States

Statement by Archivist of the United Stateson Closure/Consolidations of Three National Archives Facilities

As part of ongoing budget adjustments, Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero announced the permanent closure of three National Archives facilities. This year, the National Archives facility in Anchorage, AK, will close and two facilities in the Philadelphia, PA, area will be consolidated to a single site. Within the next two years, two Archives’ facilities in Fort Worth, TX, also will be consolidated to a single site. These closures and consolidations will result in estimated annual cost savings of approximately $1.3 million.
“The National Archives budget is devoted primarily to personnel and facilities, both of which are essential to our mission,” the Archivist stated. “I recognize these cuts will be painful; however, we are committed to continuing to provide the best service to our customers and best working conditions for our staff nationwide.”
Background:
Anchorage, AK, facility closing
The National Archives’ facility in Anchorage, AK, will close permanently in FY 2014. The employees who work there will be offered positions at other National Archives facilities, with the National Archives paying relocation expenses. The less than 12,000 cubic feet of archival records in Alaska will be moved to the National Archives at Seattle, WA, where the National Archives will digitize these records so that they remain available to Alaskans through the internet. In addition, we will move approximately 7,500 cubic feet of records center holdings to Seattle, WA.
Philadelphia, PA, facility consolidation
The National Archives currently maintains two facilities in Philadelphia—a records center and archives at Townsend Road, and a small “storefront” archival facility at 900 Market Street in the city center. These facilities are in the same commuting area, and archival records are currently moved between the two for research use. The Market Street facility will close in FY 2014, and those employees will move to Townsend Road or telework locations. The less than 5,000 cubic feet of archival records stored at Market Street will be moved to Townsend Road, where the majority of the archival records already are stored. The Townsend Road facility’s research room will be modified to better provide appropriate access to researchers, and community outreach programs will continue.
Fort Worth, TX, facility consolidation
The National Archives currently maintains two facilities in Fort Worth: a combined records center and archives at John Burgess Drive, and a smaller “storefront” facility at Montgomery Plaza. The National Archives will permanently close the Montgomery Plaza facility in FY 2016. All employees at the Montgomery Plaza location will move to John Burgess or telework locations. No original records are stored at Montgomery Plaza, and researchers will have continued access to archival records through the research room at John Burgess Drive.

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