October 09, 2008
What We’re Reading: October 9, 2008 Edition
We start off this week’s post with news from Washington that isn’t economy or campaign related. Read up on a number of news items from the National Coalition for History (including NARA news, the donation of FDR papers, and more), and learn the best way to keep up-to-date on the Vice President Cheney records case. Then, take a look at Tom Scheinfeldt’s stance on digital history and employment in academia, learn what happened this week in history from the Britannica blog, mourn the lack of a digitized version of the Intellectual History Newsletter, and compare past presidential candidates (by unconventional comparison measures).
- The National Coalition for History Covers a Number of News Items
Last week the NCH reported on a number of issues members of the history profession may be interested in following. In NARA related news, more testimony from the Rosenberg grand jury has been released, the GAO expresses concern that the national archives may not be ready for President George W. Bush’s records, and Congress passes legislation to change NARA and NHPRC programs. Also, read about protecting battlefields (from Walmart and through a new federal grant program), the donation of FDR papers, a new Board of Regents chair at the Smithsonian, and more. - Vice President Cheney Records Case
We will continue to report major developments in the pending litigation to assure that records from the Office of the Vice President are properly preserved, but for smaller incremental changes visit the web site of Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington—the lead plaintiffs in the case. - Making It Count: Toward a Third Way
In this article, Tom Scheinfeldt at Found History takes up the ongoing discussion about fitting digital history into the academic employment system. Looking at the issue from the perspective of someone employed in academia, but off the tenure track, he concludes: "There are some downsides and some upsides to my position, but it’s a reasonably happy third way." This should probably be read in conjunction with a new report from the American Council on Education, which asks whether there are "Too Many Rungs on the Ladder." Looking at the data on the employment of faculty, they warn that a decline in the number of tenure-track positions today could create a critical administrative leadership vacuum in the not too distant future. - Britannica.com Week in Preview: October 6-12
The Britannica Blog takes a look at historical events for each day this week. They note the Great Chicago Fire, the Washington Monument’s 120th birthday, the first Oktoberfest, and more. - Intellectual History Research Complaint: Digitizing IHN
Tim Lacy notes the sad absence of the now defunct Intellectual History Newsletter from the ranks of digitized history publications, despite a first-rate roster of published authors. We share his hope that those issues will find a digital home. - The Measure of a President
The New York Times takes a unique look back at past presidential candidates, and how each “measures” up.
Contributors: Elisabeth Grant and Robert B. Townsend
