WASHINGTON – Legislation introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to help ensure that historically significant films and sound recordings are preserved for the benefit of generations of Iowans was signed into law. Several Iowa libraries and organizations have taken advantage of these grants to preserve films and recordings depicting events or issues that are important to the state’s history.
Grassley, along with Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, authored legislation to reauthorize the sound recording and film preservation programs of the Library of Congress, which are charged with collecting, archiving and preserving films and recordings that are rapidly disappearing and deteriorating with time.
“I heard directly from Iowa libraries and archivists who explained the importance of these grants to preserving Iowa’s history. In authoring this reauthorization, we can continue to foster an environment that encourages the preservation of our nation’s historical and cultural resources,” Grassley said. “These programs place a special emphasis on assisting small and local projects, like many of those in Iowa, that would otherwise have been lost or overlooked. It’s important to safeguard these films and sound recordings so generations to come have the opportunity to learn from and appreciate these treasures.”
Congress created the National Film Preservation Board in 1988 and the National Film Preservation Foundation in 1996 to help save historically significant American films for the benefit of the public. In 2000, Congress created the National Recording Preservation Board and the National Recording Preservation Foundation to help save historically important American sound recordings.
The two Boards advise the Librarian of Congress on national preservation planning policy, helping the Library develop and disseminate preservation and production standards for at-risk works. In addition, the Film Board selects films of importance to cinema and America’s cultural and artistic history for the National Film Registry, while the Recording Board selects sound recordings which have been recognized for their cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation’s audio legacy for the National Recording Registry. The two Foundations raise funds and distribute them to archives throughout the United States. A requirement of the grants is that recipients make these works available to researchers, educators and the general public.
To date, the National Film Preservation Foundation has given grants in all 50 states. Iowa libraries participating in the grant program have received assistance to help preserve important films and recordings. The National Film Preservation Foundation has provided grants to preserve films held in Iowa institutions, including Coe College, Council Bluffs Public Library, Davenport Public Library, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum, Iowa State University American Archives of the Factual Film, and the University of Iowa. In addition, a number of Iowa-related items are preserved in the Library of Congress Packard Campus audio-visual collection, including copies of Iowa Public Radio and Public Television items from the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
Historical Films Must Be Preserved For Future Generations
“Thanks to the National Film Preservation Foundation we have made important progress on saving this important material. To date the NFPF has helped rescue more than 2,600 films from all 50 states and these aren’t Hollywood features but regional films and newsreels that document our history and culture.” David McCartney, University Archivist, University of Iowa
“Did you know Council Bluffs Iowa had the first electric Streetcar system in the country? As a result of this grant we were able to see, for the first time, real, moving images of Council Bluffs from back when it was a major rail hub. 1 have no doubt that, without support from the NFPF, vital pieces of local history would be lost forever.” Ben Johnson, Support Services Librarian, Council Bluffs (Iowa) Public Library
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