Dr. Edward Mark, Historian for the Department of the Air Force, has
just posted some observations on recordkeeping on H-Net's H-Diplo
message board.  As the name implies, H-Diplo focuses on issues related
to foreign affairs and diplomatic history.  Dr. Mark's posting is in
response to my posting a message on the board about Russell Riley's
recent article on White House records.  I didn't say much actually,
just posted an extract and link to Riley's recent WaPo piece.

Since historians mostly comprise H-Diplo's subscribers, it will be
interesting to how they react to Dr. Mark's post.  Most of it centers
on electronic records, FOIA, etc.  Here is what Dr. Mark says towards
the end of his posting:

"I must note in conclusion that one of the most serious obstacles to a
redress of the national crisis of record-keeping resides in the yawning
indifference of historians to it. I have agitated this issue for some
years, finding that with only the rarest exceptions historians are so
narcissisticly engaged in their own research that they care not a whit
for
their professional descendants."

He certainly is outspoken.  To read his thought on recordkeeping, based
on a perspective as a U.S. Air Force Historian, see
http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&list=H-Diplo&month=0511&
week=c&msg=aEU2vy8CoE7iJqYlVSGGHw&user=&pw=

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