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The article discusses the study and publication of local history in New York State. The appointment of official historians by local governments during the bicentennial of the U.S. Revolution is described. The need for training programs for local historians is argued for, as is the importance of a stronger State Historian for historic preservation efforts.. The establishment of an annual conference on New York State history is cited as evidence of the popularity of local history in the state. The development of state historical societies is also explained.

The article presents discussion regarding the publication of the Văn Kiện Đảng Toàn Tập, also translated as "The Complete Collection of Party Documents," by the government of Vietnam. Commentary is given noting the significance of the document archive to historians of Vietnam and questions are raised concerning the motivations of the Vietnamese Communist Party to edit and release the collection. Further details are given describing the documents included in the collection and their individual significances to several historical disciplines and studies.

The article reports developments related to historical societies in the U.S. The 2006 annual reports for the Pacific Coast branch of the American Historical Association will be published in the November 2007 issue of the "Pacific Historical Review." The National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for the 2007-2008 academic year has been awarded to Laird M. Easton of California State University. The Western History Association (WHA) invites proposals for papers for their 2008 conference theme "Risky Business."