Recently, both the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) have announced the availability of disaster recovery assistance for cultural, historical and archival institutions in the flood ravaged Midwest.

On Friday, June 20, the National Endowment for the Humanities announced that it would provide up to $1 million in disaster recovery assistance to educational and cultural institutions that have been adversely affected by the recent and ongoing floods in the Midwest. The emergency funding will provide aid to museums, libraries, colleges, universities, and other cultural and historical institutions in their efforts to recover and preserve manuscripts, historical records, art and artifacts, recordings, rare books, photographs, and other materials of cultural or historical significance damaged by the floods in federally designated disaster areas.

Affected institutions can apply immediately for emergency grants of up to $20,000 to salvage, protect, and treat historical collections damaged by the flooding. Application details are available on the NEH website by following this link.

Additionally, grants will also be made to NEH-affiliated state humanities councils in affected states to help them assess the extent of the damage and to assist in the recovery efforts of hard-hit areas.

Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein and U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar recently announced the award of a $10,000 emergency grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) to the Indiana Commission on Public Records for its Flood Disaster Assessment and Response Project in the aftermath of severe flooding from storms that struck Indiana in late May and early June of this year.

Preliminary assessments include water damage to county court records, county tax records, children’s protective services records, prosecutors’ records including capital murder trials, health records, and veterans’ records. Many of these damaged county records predate the Civil War and go through the present. The emergency NHPRC funds will be used to help provide necessary supplies, services, personnel, and travel to carry out assessment work.