Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced the closure “with great remorse” on Sept. 13 as the way his office will meet a required state budget cut of $732,626, or 3 percent. The governor later stated the State Archives would remain open but the definition of "open" hasn't been clarified. Apparently "open" means a skeleton staff that is unable to handle research requests. Even the research rooms will be closed most of the time.
State archives staff numbered more than 100 in the early ’80s when it operated out of a facility in downtown Atlanta. Staff was down to about 40 employees when the archives moved in 2003 to Morrow, near the entrance to Clayton State University. Today, there are 10 employees who, on Nov. 1, will be cut to just three – two archivists and a maintenance worker.
Archives advocates are up in arms. You can read more about the recent history of the archives fight in my recent articles by starting at http://goo.gl/4ZMZS.
On Oct. 3, supporters protested the impending closure at the state Capitol in downtown Atlanta. You can read more in an article by Donna Williams Lewis in the CrossRoadsNews at http://goo.gl/nZu2I.
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