The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) invites nominations for their 2024 archival awards. These annual awards honor archival institutions, programs and individuals in Texas for their service to the profession. THRAB grants awards in the categories of excellence, advocacy and distinguished service. 

Nominations for 2024 Archival Awards will be accepted through June 20. THRAB will announce the recipients in October during Texas Archives Month. For nomination forms and additional information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov/archivalaward.

The Archival Award of Excellence honors archival institutions and individuals in Texas who have made significant achievements in preserving and improving access to historical records in any format. The Advocacy for Archives Award acknowledges an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to ensure the preservation and availability of Texas’s historical record. The David B. Gracy II Distinguished Archival Service Award recognizes an individual, archival institution, education program or nonprofit/government organization that has provided outstanding leadership, service or contribution to the archival profession in Texas.

Recent recipients of the Archival Award of Excellence include Robert Weaver of the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University and the William J. Hill Texas Artisans and Artists Archive in Houston. The 2023 David B. Gracy II Award for Distinguished Archival Service went to Texas State Historian Monte L. Monroe, also of the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech. The awards are funded by a State Programming Board grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

About the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board:
THRAB serves as an advisory body for historical records planning and supports efforts to preserve and provide access to archival collections throughout the state. Funding for THRAB is provided by the National Historical Publications Records Commission, the grant-making arm of the National Archives and Records Administration. The state archivist is appointed by the governor to preside over the nine-member board. 

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) has announced that it is accepting applications from libraries and archives in the Rio Grande Valley for free professional preservation assessments. As part of its ongoing efforts to provide education and support to archival repositories in the state, THRAB, with support from the National Historical Publication and Records Commission (NHPRC) will provide funding for three professional preservation assessments in the Rio Grande Valley region during the spring of 2023.

Archives, libraries, museums and other cultural heritage repositories preserving and providing access to historically significant archival collections are encouraged to apply. Special consideration will be given to those located in the counties of Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron and Hispanic-serving institutions.

Selected South Texas repositories will receive a professional preservation assessment free of charge. THRAB has contracted with Rebecca Elder Cultural Heritage Preservation of Austin to conduct the on-site reviews of facilities, environments and collection needs and produce a brief assessment report for each repository with short and long-term recommendations. Areas of review include building and environmental conditions; general collection needs; storage and shelving; exhibits (if any); and emergency planning and security. The report will prioritize the recommendations and provide essential documentation to support any future funding requests, including grant applications, to accomplish the projects.

THRAB will review the final assessment reports and work with the institutions to identify appropriate grants or other means to address the recommendations. THRAB will monitor progress of the institutions and provide advocacy support. THRAB intends this initiative to be a pilot project to engage and support underfunded repositories.

Applications can be made online by visiting www.THRAB.org or clicking on the button below. The deadline is March 1. Successful applicants will be notified by April 1 and will make arrangements with Rebecca Elder Cultural Heritage Preservation for assessments to be completed by June 1. 

The nine-member Texas Historical Records Advisory Board was established in 1976 by Governor Dolph Briscoe. It enables the state to receive monies from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission in support of archival and records management programs and serves as a catalyst for improving archival and records storage conditions within the state.

The National Historical Publications & Records Commission funds THRAB programming.

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is pleased to welcome new board member Felicia J. Williamson. Williamson, who will join THRAB on February 1, 2023, has served as the Director of Library & Archives at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum since 2015, working to expand, strengthen and increase access to the Museum’s important collection of rare books, artifacts and oral history testimonies. In addition, she has received a grant from the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission to catalog oral history testimonies, as well as a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to catalog and make available artifact collections.

Williamson graduated with a BA in History, German and European Studies and a minor in Religious Studies from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She received a master’s degree in Library and Information Science with a focus in archives from Louisiana State University (LSU). A Certified Archivist, Williamson is a former member of the Executive Board for the Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA) and a member of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). As the Head of Sam Houston State University’s Special Collections (2011-2015), Williamson instituted a program of instruction and outreach awarded the Texas Library Association’s (TLA) “Upstart Innovative Programming Award” for efforts to increase access to archival collections.

The Director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Gloria Meraz, appointed Williamson for a three-year term expiring February 1, 2026.  

For more about THRAB visit: www.thrab.org

Texas State Library and Archives Commission Director and Librarian Gloria Meraz has appointed Chris McDougal to the nine-member Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) for a term set to expire on February 1, 2025. McDougal currently serves as the director of the archives and library at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. He holds a B.S. in History from the University of Hawai’i and an M.L.S. at the University of North Texas. In his current position, Mr. McDougal oversees an archive that preserves more than 1,000 linear feet of documents, publications, photographs and recordings contributed by Pacific War veterans and their families over the past 50 years, as well as research material collected by several esteemed World War II historians.  

State Archivist and THRAB coordinator Jelain Chubb said, “We are so pleased to welcome Chris McDougal to the board and look forward to his contributions over the next few years. His particular expertise related to history museum archival work will be valuable as the board strives to support the preservation of historical records held by cultural heritage repositories around the state.” 

THRAB works to promote awareness of historically significant records through education and training, supports public access to records, serves as a catalyst for improving storage conditions and supports the preservation efforts of institutions statewide. The board receives funding from and reviews grant requests submitted to the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board was established in 1976. Board members, appointed in accordance with federal and state requirements, have experience or interest in the collection, management, administration and accessibility of historical records. They are dedicated to the preservation and use of Texas’ documentary heritage. The State Archivist serves as coordinator for the Board, and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides staff support.

Visit www.thrab.org for more information about THRAB.

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board (THRAB) is now accepting nominations for the 2022 archival awards. THRAB seeks nominations for the Archival Award of Excellence, Advocacy for Archives Award, and the David B. Gracy II Distinguished Archival Service Award.

Organizations, individuals, programs, and institutions are all eligible for the honors. Send nomination packets to THRAB coordinator Jelain Chubb at the street address or THRAB email address below by July 1, 2022. THRAB announces award recipients as part of Texas Archives Month celebrations in October.

• Advocacy for Archives Award acknowledges an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to ensure the preservation and availability of the historical record of Texas.
• Archival Award of Excellence recognizes significant achievements in preserving and improving access to historical records in any format by a Texas archival institution and individual achievements.
• Distinguished Archival Service Award This award recognizes an individual, archival institution, education program, or nonprofit/government organization that has provided outstanding leadership, service or contribution to the archives profession in Texas.        

Jelain Chubb, ATTN: THRAB Awards, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, P.O. Box 12927, Austin, TX 78701
OR: via email to thrab@tsl.texas.gov

The Texas Historical Records Advisory Board and its programs receive support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.         

www.thrab.org