Documents in this collection include Declarations of Intent, Petitions for Naturalization, and Certificates of Naturalization. These records contain a wealth of information on immigrants in New Mexico, such as their physical descriptions, occupations, countries of origin, and ports of entry into the United States. Some of the documents also have photographs of the individuals.

By Donald Padilla,
Director Records Management Division

In the age of technological advances, the computer is by far the most powerful device for producing and processing information since the invention of the printing press. Without a doubt, it is the most powerful instrument in history for recording and communicating information in a coded, symbolic form. It has transformed the very nature of conducting business, providing service, and keeping records. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, there are far-reaching changes in records media, as well as in the quality and value of records. These changes are having a profound effect on the theory and practice of records and information management (RIM).

Government is trying to remain at the forefront of these changes. New technologies open opportunities for enhanced customer service. Effective, efficient, and responsive government services can be delivered when and where they are needed. They can be delivered directly into businesses and homes. Access to multi-government services through "single points of service" or "one stop shops" can be provided via the Internet. These new developments coincide with a fundamental change taking place in the application of RIM practices and technology to government, a change that provides great opportunities to streamline government operations.

These technological advances, however, have not come without a price. Whole new sets of records and information management issues have arisen from using electronic media to create and house government information. That electronic media includes magnetic tapes diskettes, computer databases, optical discs, and settlement of New Mexico by the Spanish.

Session 2: Reviews New Mexico’s Spanish (1598-1821) and Mexican (1821-1846) periods, with emphasis on significant issues such as the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the Reconquest, and land grants.

Session 3: Reviews New Mexico’s Territorial history (1846-1912), with emphasis on some "wild west" issues and the struggle for statehood.

There are still a few slots open for the October 19-21, 1999 course to be held at the SRCA in Santa Fe. To register please call (505) 476-7908.

Robert J. Torrez,
State Historian Archives &
Historical Services Division

The Historical Society of New Mexico will hold its 2000 Annual Meeting and Conference on April 13 – 15, 2000. The conference will be hosted by the Valencia County Historical Society, with the meeting and sessions to be held at the University of New Mexico Valencia campus located between Los Lunas and Belen.

The Society is now accepting proposals for papers to be presented at the conference. Papers can be on any aspect of New Mexico history, the Borderlands, or greater Southwest. Papers on associated topics in archaeology, anthropology, education, politics, science, biography, historiography, and other social sciences are welcome.

Individual papers should be limited to twenty minutes in length. Individual papers will be grouped with two or three papers into thematic sessions of seventy- five minutes each. Proposals for sessions should consist of at least two papers on a thematic or related topic and include a moderator.

All proposals should include the name of the author, title of the paper, and a one paragraph abstract of the topic, as well as the address (electronic and physical), phone number, organizational affiliation, if any, and a short biography of the author.

Send proposals to Annual Program Chair, P. O. Box 1912, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504. Call Robert J. Torrez at (505) 476-7955 (rtorrez@rain.state.nm.us) if you have questions. DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS DECEMBER 31, 1999.

By Robert J. Torrez,
State Historian Archives &
Historical Services Division

In 1999, the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives (SRCA) has offered State employees and the general public the opportunity to attend a course in the History of New Mexico. The course provides a survey of the broad spectrum of the state’s long and colorful history. It is open to all State employees and may be of special interest to those who work in tourism related positions. The course is also open to the general public on a space-available basis. There are no costs or fees to register or attend. The course instructor is State Historian Robert J. Tórrez.

The enthusiastic response to the courses held at the SRCA in January, April, and July of this year has prompted the agency to offer the course state-wide in 2000. The schedule is as follows:

The course is presented in three sessions. In Las Cruces and Taos, the sessions will be held in one and a half days. In Santa Fe and Albuquerque, the course will be presented in three consecutive half-day sessions. The schedule for each site will be provided on the registration forms.

Session 1: Reviews the history of the pre-historic cultures of the Southwest through the period of exploration, conquest, and settlement of New Mexico by the Spanish.

Session 2: Reviews New Mexico’s Spanish (1598-1821) and Mexican (1821-1846) periods, with emphasis on significant issues such as the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the Reconquest, and land grants.

Session 3: Reviews New Mexico’s Territorial history (1846-1912), with emphasis on some "wild west" issues and the struggle for statehood.

There are still a few slots open for the October 19-21, 1999 course to be held at the SRCA in Santa Fe. To register please call (505) 476-7908.

The Council of State Historical Records Coordinators (COSHRC) has initiated a web site to facilitate its ongoing cooperative activities as well as support its current project, the National Forum on Archival Continuing Education (NFACE). The NFACE is a project developed by COSHRC in partnership with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). It is being funded through a grant from the National Historic Records and Publications Commission (NHPRC).

Each State Coordinator chairs a State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) which is responsible for reviewing NHPRC grant proposals developed within their states. Many of these SHRABs have also undertaken strategic planning, surveys, educational programs, regrants, and other projects involving historical records repositories and supporting the activities of record keepers statewide. The COSHRC site provides links to all of the SHRABs that have web sites and summarizes the information and materials available at each one.

The web site for COSHRC can be found at www.coshrc.org. Information specific to the NFACE project is located at www.coshrc.org/nface.

The web site will be central to the work of COSHRC’s current project, NFACE. The NFACE portion of the site will provide a vehicle for sharing information among participating organizations as well as for disseminating information about existing educational programs and best practices to those who educate caretakers of historical records.

By L. Elaine Olah,
State Records Administrator

At its August 24^th meeting, the Commission of Public Records adopted Understanding New Mexico through its Public Records, its strategic plan for 2001-2005. The mission statement that resulted from the planning process sets the context for the strategies and activities to come. The Commission of Public Records recognizes that a democracy requires a fully documented and accessible public record. In its commitment to preserve the records that document the rights and history of the people of New Mexico, it manages the life cycle of public records by establishing standards that preserve, protect, provide access to, and facilitate the use of those records.

The plan was widely distributed for staff and public comment. The resulting six initiatives and twenty-seven strategies set an ambitious course for the Commission and the staff of the State Records Center and Archives for the next five years.

The initiatives are listed in order of priority. Under each, specific implementation strategies are delineated, also in order of priority.

4. Improve efficiency and accountability in State government through RIAM.

6.1 Implement 80 percent of the NMHRAB Strategic Plan by 2005.

6.2 Develop outreach programs that improve public understanding of NM History.

To implement these strategies, specific action steps were also identified and organized by year into annual priorities. Any funding required to support these priorities will be included in the agencies annual appropriation request.

At the August 24, 1999 meeting, the Commission of Public Records did approve the FY 2001 budget request, which includes both base budget (budget from on-going activities) and program changes (budget for new or expanded functions) funding to underwrite the FY 2001 priorities. The program changes, if funded, will enable the agency to begin work toward implementing several initiatives and include the following:

Creating an Electronic Records Administrator (Refer to strategy 2.1, and 4.1).

Expanding archival and records management training started through a grant from the NHPRC (Refer to strategies 1.3, 1.4, and 6.1).

Obtaining more training for employees who will conduct training for State agencies and other repositories (Refer to 1.3, 1.4, 5.1, and 6.1).

Expanding supplies that can be sold to State agencies and other historical record repositories. (Refer to strategies 1.3 and 6.1).

Creating an Electronic rule-filing process that will streamline rule-filing by State agencies.

Developing specifications for a public record-locator service that would allow anyone, anywhere, to identify the keeper and contact for any public record of the State. (Refer to strategy 3.2).

The full plan and priorities can be viewed at the agency’s web site, http://www.state.nm.us/cpr.

Questions can be directed to Elaine Olah at (505)476-7902 or by e-mail at eolah@rain.state.nm.us.

By JoAnne Jager
Grants Administrator

The New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board (NMHRAB) met on September 13, 1999 to review its progress in implementing its Strategic Plan to improve preservation of and access to New Mexico’s historical records. Topping the agenda was the adoption of revised guidelines and a revised application form for the New Mexico Historical Records Grant Program and an enhanced schedule of training sessions offered to keepers of historical records.

Applicant information packets have been prepared for distribution with the guidelines and application form when the next call for proposals is issued on November 1, 1999. Included in the packets are lists of resource persons, a schedule of training sessions, and the evaluation criteria. From now until November, previews of the application procedures will be given in conjunction with designated training sessions on the Board’s schedule. They are set for September 17 in Las Vegas, September 28 in Las Cruces, and November 5 at Santa Fe. At least one other is tentatively scheduled in October. Also, the newly revised re-grant program guidelines and training session schedule have been added to the Commission of Public Records web-page.

The first cycle of the grants awarded is now reaching its mid-point. All awardees report good progress on their funded projects, and nearly all anticipate completion on schedule. The New Mexico Preservation Alliance has used its grant to engage AMIGOS Preservation Service to present "Preserving Your Historic Records: An Archival Holdings Maintenance Workshop." The workshop will be held four times during October - in Roswell (12^th), Silver City (14^th), Farmington (19^th), and Santa Fe (21^st).

The Board also is weighing the priorities to be addressed in the year 2000. In recent months, the Board began formulating standards of record collection description with a draft of a model collection policy. It also ordered the updating of its directory of records repositories across the state with the addition of more repositories and fuller description of their respective holdings. A direct mailing was made to all county clerks, inviting participation in NMHRAB programs and advising them of the grants available directly from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

In observance of New Mexico History Day next spring, arrangements have been made to co-sponsor, with the New Mexico Humanities Council, an essay contest that requires the use of primary sources. The Board is considering activities with other affinity groups to promote their programs in the upcoming year.

Looking toward the future, NMHRAB is examining potential funding sources to help support these programs beyond this initial undertaking. It has developed a statement of need as the basis of efforts to solicit funding and support. In addition to a continuation of the re-grant and training programs, the Board envisions an historical information and tracking network (HINTS) to facilitate access to historical records in the state.