Budget Cuts and the Historical Profession

Times are tight, no doubt about that. The global economic crisis has hit individuals, corporations, and governments very hard and there is no clear end in sight. Two news stories I read today touched on how massive cutbacks are hitting the historical profession. The first, from the Raleigh News & Observer, discusses the ways in which North Carolina museums and historic sites are coping during these poor economic times. The second notes the potential closure of Louisiana State University Press, one of the foremost publishers of works in southern history, the Civil War, and related fields. Tough times, indeed.