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National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History Letter to Mayor Bloomberg
Regarding the Giuliani Papers
February 19, 2002
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, New York 10007
Dear Mayor Bloomberg:
On behalf of the member organizations of the National Coordinating Committee for
the Promotion of History (a national coalition of historical and archival
organizations), I am writing to express concern over the recent removal of the
mayoral papers of the Giuliani Administration from the custody of the New York
City Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS). These records are
property of the City of New York and should be readily accessible in the public
domain. The effect of the arrangement negotiated recently by former Mayor Rudolph
W. Giuliani makes it more difficult to access these records by city archivists,
historians, and the public. It also violates the spirit if not the letter of the
New York City Charter.
According to that Charter, Chapter 72, paragraph 3,004: the mandate of DORIS is
“to preserve and receive all city records of historical research, cultural or
other important value.” Placing these records in the hands of a third-party
entity violates that intent.
Mayor Giuliani’s records are of particular importance: In light of the recent
terrorist attacks in New York City, historians and other researchers will have an
extraordinary interest in having access to the former mayor’s records. In this
regard, his records are of national significance and they should be carefully
preserved and made readily available to all interested parties as rapidly as
possible.
Of particular concern to us is that under the current arrangement, former Mayor
Giuliani will have the right to block public access to any documents in which he
deems he has a “private interest.” Consistent with established archival
principles and past procedures of DORIS, we believe such access decisions should
properly be made by qualified professional archivists who are responsible to the
public.
We are also troubled by the apparently unprecedented action whereby the City
appears to have segregated these mayoral documents from the Municipal Archives
and relinquished to a third-party the City’s responsibility for the preservation
and care of these important documents. In accordance with the City Charter, we
believe those obligations properly rest with those professional archival staff
employed by the City of New York who are responsible to the public.
Lastly, we are concerned that the arrangement negotiated by the former mayor
gives a private entity priority of access to important documents of civic and
historical interest over the equally valid research interests of historians and
others scholars. At the present moment, the Rudolph W. Giuliani Center for Urban
Affairs has unfettered access to all of these records, while other historians,
scholars, and members of the public have no access at all. We believe that this
kind of specialized preference is inconsistent with the city’s tradition of
providing public access to municipal records.
We urge you to terminate the current arrangement, and regain custody of these
important mayoral records.
Sincerely, Bruce Craig
Director, NCCPH
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