Boston, Massachusetts - In late May, 2025, news was shared that DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposed FY2026 budget for the District of Columbia eliminated funding for the construction of a new DC State Archives building, long planned for and already underway. The DC Archives Foundation released a statement and encouraged action from residents and mission-aligned organizations. On behalf of the Council of State Archivists (CoSA), Executive Director Joy Banks submitted a letter of support for the Archives, encouraging the restoration of funding and continuation of established construction plans. "Government archives play a critical role in our society," says Banks. "Given the current state of the DC State Archives building, the District is on the cusp of making what could be the biggest step forward in the country for their collections and the community it serves." This most recent support reiterates public comment submitted by CoSA in 2023 during hearings held by the DC Committee on Executive Administration and Labor.

If you are interested in contributing to the efforts, the above linked statement from the DC Archives Foundation includes more information. For more information on the importance of government archives, download and share CoSA's Government Archives are Essential brochure. Find the full statement from CoSA below.

The Honorable Muriel Bowser
Executive Office of the Mayor
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington DC 20004

June 4, 2025

Dear Mayor Bowser:

We are distressed to learn that, after decades of thoughtful planning and advocacy, funding for the construction of a new archives building for the DC Archives may be canceled. As representative of the government archives of the 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia, the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) recognizes how essential this project is to the preservation of the city’s rich history and to its residents, who use the archives regularly for family history and legal research.

Government archives play the critical role in society of collecting and preserving records that protect the legal, financial, administrative, and historical aspects of our government and the public it serves. Effectively functioning government archives are the foundation of open and transparent government operations that meet constituents' needs. Appropriate facilities - including adequate storage, reliable climate controls, and spaces that balance security and broad public access - are key components of effective functionality.

The design plans for the new DC State Archives are a model of productive collaboration. They give the space necessary to co-locate the rich and growing collections of DC in a single site. The new construction allows for necessary environmental monitoring controls to preserve DC’s most precious history. The location and research spaces facilitate more access for researchers to discover and access the holdings. Placing the facility on the UDC Van Ness campus helps inspire a new generation of DC historians and increase collaboration, programming, and outreach possibilities. Building now secures history and prepares the Archives for future collecting that becomes increasingly complex. 

Disrupting this process serves no one. An investment in DC’s archives preserves and protects the foundation documents and complex history of our nation’s capital and its people. It protects and preserves the documents and other records that form our collective memory. At a time when public access to information of all types is in jeopardy, you have the opportunity to be at the forefront of care for the history of not just the District, but our Nation.

Respectfully submitted,

Joy M. Banks
Executive Director

About CoSA

The Council of State Archivists (CoSA) is a nonprofit membership organization of the state and territorial government archives in the fifty states, five territories, and District of Columbia. Through collaborative research, education, and advocacy, CoSA provides leadership that strengthens and supports state and territorial archives in their work to preserve and provide access to government records. CoSA facilitates networking, information sharing, and project collaboration among its member organizations to help state and territorial government archives with their responsibilities for protecting the rights and historical documents of the American people.