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National History Day Annual Cycle
June-August 
- Identify collections that are appropriate for the annual theme
- Educate staff to do reference for NHD students
- Create list with collection descriptions (see Highlighting Your Collections)
August
- Send list of topics to NHD state coordinator for distribution to teachers
- Contact interested teachers individually to set up class visits
- Organize staff and volunteers for class visits
October-December
- Class visits
- Work with individual student researchers (some states have researchers through February)
January-March
- Students should be working on their projects for regional and state competitions
- Contest theme for the following year is announced
January-April
- Regional contests
April-May
- State Contests
June
- National Contest in College Park, Maryland
EXAMPLE: How one repository identifies collections and provides reference for National History Day
August
- Review the National History Day theme.
- List for upcoming years:
- 2015 Leadership and Legacy in History
September
- Archivists share and submit potential collections for list
- Coordinator reviews departmental lists for potential collections
October
- Coordinator finalizes collection list
- Publicize list on department’s History Day web site and through the State Coordinator’s listserv
- Based on individual requests or organized visits, archivists determine best ways to use the collections (i.e. digital access, reproductions, etc.) as well as presentation topics
- Plan ahead with individual teachers who ask to set up class visits
- Educate and organize staff and volunteers to do reference for NHD students
October-December
- Class visits
- Work with individual student researchers
Society of American Archivists Reference, Access and Outreach Section's National History Day Committee| Credits
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