National Archives’ Role in a Presidential Transition

Every four years, when it is a Presidential election year, the National Archives and Records Administration readies itself for one of its lesser-known duties: preparing for a Presidential transition. NARA is one of a handful of agencies that are designated as having special transition responsibilities because of our government-wide responsibilities relating to Presidential and Federal … Continue reading National Archives’ Role in a Presidential Transition

Digital Preservation Framework Released for Public Comment

Today NARA is releasing the entirety of our digital preservation framework for public comment. This digital preservation framework consists of our approach to determining risks faced by electronic files, and our plans for preserving different types of file formats. The public is encouraged to join the discussion, September 16 through November 1, 2019, on GitHub. … Continue reading Digital Preservation Framework Released for Public Comment

Modernizing the Proposed Records Schedule Commenting Process

The records management program at the National Archives has been working to build an open and collaborative electronic records management community with federal and industry stakeholders for many years. A key component of this effort has been increasing access to both approved records schedules via the Records Control Schedule portal and making it easier for … Continue reading Modernizing the Proposed Records Schedule Commenting Process

Senior Agency Officials for Records Management

The National Archives recently hosted a meeting of Senior Agency Officials for Records Management (SAORM) and agency records officers from across the federal government. This meeting covered progress and plans for modernizing Federal recordkeeping and implementing strategic records management mandates and priorities. I was pleased to greet so many Senior Agency Officials for Records Management … Continue reading Senior Agency Officials for Records Management

Guidance on Presidential and Federal Records

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has long had a special relationship with the incoming Presidential Administration, including providing archival and records management guidance and support to the White House upon request. This relationship continues throughout the Administration, until the Presidential records are transferred into the National Archives for permanent preservation in our President … Continue reading Guidance on Presidential and Federal Records

The Role of the National Archives in the Presidential Transition

With this week’s election, we Americans determined the next chapter in our country’s history. I am proud to have exercised my vote and I hope you did the same. As private citizens we participated in an act of living democracy. Today, we do the same as Federal employees dedicated to preparing our agency for a … Continue reading The Role of the National Archives in the Presidential Transition

Records Management Self-Assessment

I am pleased to announce that the 2015 Records Management-Self Assessment (RMSA) report is now available. Laurence Brewer, Chief Records Officer for the U.S. Government, said, "This is our seventh RMSA, and we are very pleased to see real progress being made by agencies. We expect this improvement to continue, especially as agencies continue to … Continue reading Records Management Self-Assessment

Meeting the Government’s Email Challenge

Free and equal access to government records is essential to this country’s democracy.  Citizens have the right to see, examine, and learn from the records that guarantee their rights, document government actions, and tell the story of the nation. As Archivist of the United States, it is my job to make sure we identify, save, … Continue reading Meeting the Government’s Email Challenge

It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law!

On November 26, 2014, President Barack Obama signed into law Public Law No: 113-187, the Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014. This new law modernizes records management by focusing more directly on electronic records, and complements efforts by the National Archives to implement the President’s 2011 Memorandum on Managing Government Records. Key points … Continue reading It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law!

Additional Guidance on Managing Email Released

I am pleased to announce that the Office of Management and Budget and the National Archives released a memo yesterday afternoon to the heads of executive departments and independent agencies on managing email. Over the past few weeks, this issue has been brought into focus through testimony that I delivered to the House Committee on Oversight and … Continue reading Additional Guidance on Managing Email Released