Council of State Archivists

State Historical Records Advisory Boards (SHRAB) were first proposed in 1975 in a report from Herbert Angel to the recently formed National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), chaired by the Archivist of the United States.{{Cite journal |last=Burke |first=Frank |date=2000-01-01 |title=The Beginnings of the NHPRC Records Program |url=https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.63.1.fr07u63646825565 |journal=The American Archivist |volume=63 |issue=1 |pages=18–42 |doi=10.17723/aarc.63.1.fr07u63646825565 |issn=0360-9081|url-access=subscription }} Each SHRAB is led by an appointed State Coordinator.{{Cite web |date=2016-08-15 |title=State Coordinators and Boards |url=https://www.archives.gov/nhprc/about/state-coordinators-boards.html |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=National Archives |language=en}} After several years of work and recognizing their need to carry out their mandate across the various archival association missions, the State Coordinators formed the Council of State Historical Records Coordinators (COSHRC) in 1989, maintaining close ties to the NHPRC.

In the early years of COSHRC, membership expanded to include State Historical Records Coordinators and the Deputy State Coordinators. These archival leaders issued many reports to document and guide work related to historical records and archives in coordination with their peers in other organizations, such at the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA), and the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH).{{Cite journal |last=Cameron |first=Richard |date=2000-01-01 |title=The Concept of a National Records Program and Its Continued Relevance for a New Century |url=https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.63.1.f022071t5m16w203 |journal=The American Archivist |volume=63 |issue=1 |pages=43–66 |doi=10.17723/aarc.63.1.f022071t5m16w203 |issn=0360-9081|doi-access=free |url-access=subscription }}

Under the leadership of Peter Gottlieb (COSHRC Steering Committee Chair, 2000), the Council started planning for its future and its continued relationship with the NHPRC, and in 2002, the work Gottlieb started took shape when COSHRC incorporated as an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The shifting mission and priorities of the group also motivated a name change in 2005 to the Council of State Archivists (CoSA).{{Cite journal |last=Irons Walch |first=Victoria |date=2011 |title=Introduction to President Peter Gottlieb |url=https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.74.1.h118568g2402l85k |journal=The American Archivist |volume=74 |issue=1 |pages=23–25}}

Today, the Council supports its mission to "provide leadership to strengthen and support state and territorial archives leaders and staff in their work to preserve and provide access to government records."{{Cite web |title=About CoSA - Council of State Archivists |url=https://www.statearchivists.org/about/mission-strategic-plan |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=www.statearchivists.org}} Research, education, and advocacy remain central to all programs, and representatives from member institutions serve on a variety of committees to accomplish these tasks.{{Cite web |title=Committees & Task Forces - Council of State Archivists |url=https://www.statearchivists.org/about/committees-task-forces |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=www.statearchivists.org}}

The CoSA Awards Program provides annual recognition to individuals, programs, and institutions for their contributions to the field of government archives, such as those awarded to Jim Condos,{{Cite web |title=Vermont Secretary of State Condos receives Council of State Archivists Advocacy for Archives Award {{!}} Vermont Business Magazine |url=https://vermontbiz.com/people/september/vermont-secretary-state-condos-receives-council-state-archivists-advocacy-archives |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=vermontbiz.com}} Doug Robinson,{{Cite web |title=Robinson Receives CoSA 2015 Advocacy for Archives Award |url=https://www.nascio.org/press-releases/robinson-receives-cosa-2015-advocacy-for-archives-award/ |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=NASCIO |language=en-US}} and the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board.{{Cite web |date=2016-08-15 |title=NHPRC News - July 2015 |url=https://www.archives.gov/nhprc/newsletter/2015/july |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=National Archives |language=en}}

• [https://www.statearchivists.org/ Official website]

Category:History organizations based in the United States

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Boston

Category:Organizations established in 1989

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