The National Coalition for History (NCH) represents the historical and archival professions on issues involving federal funding and policy issues that have an impact on historical research and teaching, access to government information, employment of historians, public policy issues relating to history, historic preservation, and the dissemination of historical information. The AHA provides significant financial support to the NCH, and calls attention to the work they’re doing in Washington.

For the most recent news of what the NCH is doing in Washington, readers can visit the coalition’s web site or sign up for their newsletter. And in case you missed it, here’s a roundup of some recent highlights from the NCH web site:

• NCH Testifies at Hearing on Issues Facing a New Archivist of the U.S.
  On May 21, 2009, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and the National Archives held a hearing to consider the policy issues facing a new Archivist of the United States. Among those testifying was Lee White, the Executive Director of the National Coalition for History (NCH).
• NARA Offers $50K Reward For Missing Clinton Records Hard Drive
  On May 29, 2009, the National Archives and Records Administration announced a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the recovery of an external hard drive containing copies of backup tapes from the Executive Office of the President (EOP) of the Clinton Administration. NARA learned in late March 2009 that the hard drive was missing from a processing room at NARA’s College Park, Maryland facility [as mentioned in a past “What We’re Reading” post on the AHA blog].
• NCH Testimony on NARA & NHPRC Proposed FY ‘10 Budgets
  The National Coalition for History (NCH) recently submitted testimony to the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Financial Services and General Government on the fiscal year (FY) 2010 budgets for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
• Obama Administration To Review Declassification and CUI Policies
  On May 27, 2009, President Obama issued a memorandum directing an internal executive branch review of federal declassification policies and procedures for handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
• NHPRC May 2009 Meeting
  On May 27, 2009, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) recommended to the Archivist of the United States 82 grants of $5.9 million for projects in 39 states and the District of Columbia.
• Obama Administration Seeks Public Input on Openness & Transparency Policies
  President Obama’s January 21, 2009, memorandum Transparency and Open Government, directed the Chief Technology Officer, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA), to develop an Open Government Directive that will provide executive departments and agencies with specific policies to implement the president’s memorandum. The White House is inviting members of the public to participate in the process of developing the policy recommendations.
• Dr. Leon Kass Delivers 2009 Jefferson Lecture
  On May 21, 2009, Dr. Leon R. Kass, a widely published author and award-winning humanities teacher, delivered the 2009 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) sponsored Jefferson Lecture is the most prestigious honor the federal government bestows for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.