NARA staff have been developing a new digital tool that you can use to explore our records. The tool draws from over 100 million digital copies in our Catalog. And we are adding more digital copies every day. This can be overwhelming, especially to new users of the Catalog. So we have been working to … Continue reading A New Path for Exploration: Record Group Explorer
On Saturday, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) issued a public apology for having displayed an altered photograph at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. The public apology reads in full: We made a mistake. As the National Archives of the United States, we are and have always been completely committed to preserving … Continue reading Accepting Responsibility, Working to Rebuild Your Trust
One of the great things about growing up the libraries of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was getting to work with retired faculty. No one ever seemed to really retire at MIT! Most retained their office or lab space, continued their research, and still used the libraries. One of my favorites was Harold “Doc” Edgerton, … Continue reading Remembering Doc Edgerton
National Youth Administration (NYA) Photographs showing Projects in New England and New York, 1935 - 1942. National Archives Identifier 7350922 Number of Record Group descriptions in the National Archives’ Catalog: 569*Number of Collection descriptions in the Catalog: 4,752Number of creating organization authority files in the Catalog: 100,714 Number of person name authority files linked to descriptions: 23,709Number of geographic authority files … Continue reading By the Numbers 2019
Since the Innovation Hub opened in July 2015, many visitors and volunteers have passed through its doors to scan documents from our holdings, attend presentations and conferences, and participate in brainstorming sessions as well as scanathons and editathons. The Innovation Hub accomplishes an important part of NARA's mission to make access happen through digitization, and … Continue reading Recent events at the Innovation Hub
The history of the National Archives records our longstanding commitment to the mission of preserving and providing access to the permanent records of the federal government. However, in no decade in our history have we provided greater access than in the one that is drawing to a close this month. Together, our staff developed values … Continue reading Making Access Happen: NARA’s Leadership in the Digital Decade
Last spring, the National Archives Foundation Board voted to present the 2019 Records of Achievement Award to Cokie Roberts in recognition of her work as a journalist, political commentator, and historian. With her untimely passing, last night’s award ceremony was, instead, a tribute program honoring her life and legacy. Cokie dedicated her life to learning … Continue reading Remembering Cokie
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
The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO, is undergoing a year-long renovation that will result in a new Truman permanent exhibition, new amenities for visitors, and enhanced educational and community programming. Yesterday, I joined Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri State Senator John Rizzo, Clifton Truman Daniel (President Truman’s oldest grandson), and Library Director … Continue reading Truman Library Ground-breaking Ceremony
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged the nation to land a man on the Moon before the end of the decade, striking a responsive chord with the American people. The Apollo program was created to meet this goal, and on July 20, 1969, astronauts of the Apollo 11 Mission became the first … Continue reading Apollo 11: One Giant Leap for Mankind
