[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 157 (Sunday, November 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page S12283]]

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                                 Senate

                    PRESERVATON OF SENATORS' PAPERS

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, in the dozen or so weeks between the end of 
this congressional session and the start of the next, members might 
profitably encourage their staffs to pursue a matter of great 
importance to the preservation of the Senate's institutional memory. I 
refer to the archiving of senators' noncurrent office files and 
personal papers.
  I recognize that most of us have enough to engage our attention 
thinking about the demands of today and tomorrow, without worrying a 
great deal about the records of yesterday. That's why the intersession 
recess offers a useful opportunity to address this important 
housekeeping matter. Our records deserve professional attention--not 
just in the final days of our Senate careers--but throughout our entire 
service here. The current proliferation of records in electronic 
formats makes this updating particularly urgent. Whether on disks, 
tapes, or paper, these records, if properly managed, will take their 
place as vital historical resources in the decades ahead. By planning 
now, senators can minimize preservation costs while maximizing research 
value at the time these records are opened for research and other 
educational purposes.
  Many senators have already made commitments to home-state educational 
institutions for staged transfer of their non-current records. For 
those who have not, I urge you to seek the assistance of the Senate 
Archivist within the Office of the Secretary of the Senate. What better 
way could there be to join those who have come before us in preserving 
and enriching the documentary resource of this great institution.

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