Thanks to the hard work and support of Georgians and people literally around the world — including Gov. Nathan Deal — the Georgia Archives will stay open.
The schedule will remain as is — two days a week, no appointment necessary — until the end of the current budget year, June 31.
However, the Archives will have to do the same amount of work with five fewer employees. Only two of the seven terminated by Secretary of State Brian Kemp will remain.
Gov. Nathan Deal announced Thursday the restoration of $125,000 of the $730,000 taken away by Secretary Kemp and the move of the Archives from the Secretary of State’s office to the University System of Georgia. The move to USG must be approved by the state legislature.
It remains to be seen if the Archives will fare better under USG. Hopefully, this great institution will gain some stability — as much as possible in these tough economic times. At least it should be farther removed from the political games under the Gold Dome.
The fight now moves to the legislature. Archives supporters need to contact their representatives and senators. Let them know that the Georgia Archives deserves funding. The legislative session opens Jan. 14.
Perhaps we can convince the legislature to appropriate enough funds to open the Archives an extra day… or three. Perhaps the five employees can be re-hired.
After we’ve savored this most excellent moment, we press on. January is just around the corner.
Vivian Price Saffold
GeorgiaArchivesMatters 
Vivian, so glad to hear the news. While I don’t live anywhere near Georgia, the decisions swirling around this scenario will ultimately impact the future of other governmental archives, so I share your concern. Best wishes to all interested parties shepherding this process through every one of those political processes!
There are still too many unanswered questions regarding how staff provided by the University System of Georgia are going to learn the records at the Georgia Archives when the Archives staff is being cut so drastically. One warm body does not replace another come January. Records at archives take years to learn. Databases and cataloging systems are unique and specific to the records. Too much knowledge is still being lost under the current plan, and the University System of Georgia makes cuts to budgets, too. Just look at UGA. Who do we contact if two years from now the Archives is in the line of fire again?