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Subject:
AirForceHistoryIndex.org
From:
Michael Ravnitzky <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Records Management Program <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:41:24 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
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text/plain (45 lines) 
A website called AirForceHistoryIndex represents an exemplar of
public/private partnership.  Has anyone found the site to be helpful?

http://www.AirForceHistoryIndex.org

Are there other databases that are not available online that might benefit
from this sort of public/private partnership?

It seems that a group of dedicated and technically savvy private historical
researchers have used public record laws to make available via the web a
database of some 550,000 United States Air Force Historical reports and
documents. I encourage you to explore the site.
 
Hereıs my question:  Are there any other databases of historical documents
or other data that are not getting the attention they deserve?  Perhaps
these databases have an awkward user interface, or an unwieldy format?  Or
perhaps these databases are simply not posted online, or are stored only in
paper form, or are to be found only on an Intranet?
 
Private historical researchers such as the creators of the Air Force History
Index---or others like them---may be willing to assist in taking such
databases and making them available to the public via the web---if only they
became aware of pockets of underutilized historical data and could ask for
them through channels.
 
I find the potential of public/private partnerships extremely promising in
an era of tight budgets for even important historical research and
documentation efforts.  Now, I think, is the time to leverage existing
resources and involve the publicıs help.  Ten years ago, before the
Internetıs widespread penetration, such an effort would not be possible;
today, it seems the time is ripe for such fruitful and productive
public/private partnerships.
 
Such opportunities can only raise the institutional visibility of the
historical mission and aid in both the broader communityıs and funding
decision-makersı recognition of its importance.

Michael Ravnitzky
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