Senator John A. DeFrancisco (R-I-C, Syracuse) today announced that the New York State Archives, in conjunction with the Local Government Records Advisory Council, has awarded several grants to towns and villages in Onondaga County. In addition, two grants have been awarded to the county.

The grants, which are part of the Documentary Heritage Program include $11,077 for the Town of Camillus, $13,142 for the Town of Salina, $17,278 for the Town of Skaneateles, $7,090 for the Town of Van Buren, $10,097 for the Town of Pompey, $36,946 for the Town of Lysander, and $4,995 for the Village of Jordan. Onondaga County will receive also a $35,417 grant for files management and a $69,000 grant for a county land records initiative.

The Documentary Heritage Program is a statewide records program that provides funding to help people and organizations locate, organize, and make available the State’s historical records.

"The Documentary Heritage Program is a critical component to ensuring the survival of New York’s heritage," said Senator DeFrancisco. "These grants will help our municipalities enhance their records by allowing many of them to purchase new equipment, such as up-to-date software programs and information systems that are necessary to keep up with today’s face paced demands."

These grants are supported by the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund, which was first established by the Legislature in 1989. The purpose of the Fund is to help local governments respond to the challenges of managing records and information in the twenty-first century.

For additional information regarding the Documentary Heritage Program and local government grants please visit the New York State Archives website at http://www.archives.nysed.gov.