Today, the President issued a memorandum to heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on Managing Government Records. This marks the start of an executive branch-wide effort to reform records management policies and practices. I strongly support this Presidential initiative, which sends a very clear message to Federal agencies about the importance of managing electronic records. … Continue reading Record Keeping Memo
Category: Records Management
The National Archives Celebrates the United States’ Entry into the Open Government Partnership
Yesterday, President Barack Obama unveiled the U.S. National Action Plan during a meeting in New York of the member nations of the Open Government Partnership. Last Week, the White House also issued a Status Report on the Administration’s Commitment to Open Government. Over the past year and a half, I’ve written a lot about how … Continue reading The National Archives Celebrates the United States’ Entry into the Open Government Partnership
RACO and The Archivist Achievement Awards
I enjoyed speaking with federal records managers on Wednesday at the National Archives’ Records Administration Conference (RACO). The records managers’ role in government is an essential part of our mission of preserving the records of the past and the present for study and use in the future. When I spoke to this same group last … Continue reading RACO and The Archivist Achievement Awards
A National Archives of the Future
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
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?
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
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
The Records of War
As American combat operations in Iraq draw to a close at the end of August, here at the National Archives we are always thinking about the records. The records created to document the conflict are crucial for our understanding of our military operations. It's our history at stake. The Chief Historian for the European Theater … Continue reading The Records of War
Aristotle and Potlucks
Everyone brings their special dish to a potluck. It's what makes a potluck so terrific. We make dishes we know well and are likely to be enjoyed by the crowd. My signature potluck dish is a killer potato salad! Potlucks bring together the culinary expertise of the group in the same way that crowdsourcing leverages … Continue reading Aristotle and Potlucks
Pork and Fort Sumter: New Ways of Relating to our Documents
At the National Archives and Records Administration, our unique role as the nation's records keeper is critical to the success of the President's open government initiative. Our work serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our Government, ensuring that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. I think … Continue reading Pork and Fort Sumter: New Ways of Relating to our Documents