Category: Open Government

Celebrating 10 Years of Wikipedia

by dferriero, posted in Collaboration, Open Government, Participation, Social Media, Special Events, Technology, Transparency

I'm a big fan of Wikipedia. It's often the first place I go for information. According to a recent Pew Internet report, I'm also not alone. Forty-two percent of all Americans also turn to Wikipedia for information online. Every month, almost 80 million people visit Wikipedia and more than 91,000 active contributors have worked on … Continue reading Celebrating 10 Years of Wikipedia

A National Archives of the Future

by dferriero, posted in Collaboration, Open Government, Participation, Records Management, Technology, Transparency

In his State of the Union address last week, President Barack Obama said, "We can't win the future with a government of the past." He called for a reorganization of government to give the people "a government that's more competent and more efficient." At the National Archives, we are meeting the President's call to action. … Continue reading A National Archives of the Future

Change You Can See and Experience

by dferriero, posted in Open Government, Participation, Records Management, Social Media, Special Events, Transparency

Change is not easy, but NARA staff members are doing it with enthusiam and we are seeing the results. Wireless internet is now available for researchers who use our Washington, DC and College Park, MD facilities. This service is free and available to registered researchers. On Monday, we launched the redesigned Archives.gov. With your help, … Continue reading Change You Can See and Experience

Are these Records?

by dferriero, posted in Collaboration, Open Government, Records Management, Social Media

Federal agencies' Facebook posts, YouTube videos, blog posts, and tweets... are all of these Federal records? Increasingly, Federal agencies are using web 2.0 and social media tools to quickly and effectively communicate with the public. These applications, sites, and tools encourage public participation and increase our ability to be more open and transparent. The informal … Continue reading Are these Records?

Open to Change

by dferriero, posted in Collaboration, NARA Records, Open Government, Participation, Records Management, Social Media, Transparency

Since my swearing in as the 10th Archivist of the United States less than a year ago, we've taken important steps to become a more open, transparent, participatory, and collaborative agency. I'm proud of our accomplishments: The development of our Open Government Plan A 300 percent increase in the use of social media tools to … Continue reading Open to Change

Leading an Open Archives

by dferriero, posted in Collaboration, Open Government, Participation, Social Media, Transparency

Recently, I read an article and book by Charlene Li, an expert on social media and former analyst and vice president at Forrester Research. In the book, Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead, she states that greater openness in organizations is inevitable and is a consequence of the increasing use … Continue reading Leading an Open Archives

Coming Soon: Federal Register 2.0

by dferriero, posted in Collaboration, Open Government, Participation, Social Media, Technology, Transparency

On July 26, we will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Federal Register Act by launching Federal Register 2.0.  In a special event in the Rotunda of the National Archives, I will be joined by the Public Printer of the United States and distinguished guests from regulatory agencies and the open government community to introduce … Continue reading Coming Soon: Federal Register 2.0

Citizen Archivists Making an Impact at the National Archives

by dferriero, posted in Collaboration, Open Government

On June 16, I joined Carl Malamud and members of the International Amateur Scanning League (IASL) in the Still Picture Research Room at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. I was lending my support to their newest citizen archivist project -- scanning and making available online approximately 15,000 State Department photographs of diplomatic events … Continue reading Citizen Archivists Making an Impact at the National Archives

Releasing All We Can, Protecting What We Must

by dferriero, posted in Collaboration, Open Government

This past Wednesday, the National Archives hosted a public forum to discuss how the National Declassification Center (NDC) should prioritize the declassification of records. The forum was an active and lively discussion. We heard many suggestions and comments from members of the public on a draft prioritization plan. I was joined on stage by Sheryl … Continue reading Releasing All We Can, Protecting What We Must