Only two parchment manuscripts of the Declaration of Independence dating back to the 18th century are known in the world. One is held by the National Archives and displayed to the public in the National Archives Rotunda in Washington, DC. The other was recently discovered in Chichester, England, by two Harvard University historians, who recently … Continue reading Discovering the “Sussex Declaration”
Searching for Amelia
On July 2, 1937, famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart went missing during an attempt at a round-the-world flight along with her navigator, Fred Noonan. Following the report of her disappearance, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels, including the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, assisted in search operations. These efforts are detailed in the “U.S. Navy Report of … Continue reading Searching for Amelia
Tweet the Declaration of Independence
The National Archives is proud to partner with Slate to co-host the #TinyDeclaration contest on Twitter. Slate originated the contest in 2010. This year, we are inviting the public (that means you!) to try to capture the essence of the Declaration of Independence in 140 characters or less, and tweet it out, using the hashtag: … Continue reading Tweet the Declaration of Independence
Improving Customer Experience with Digital Personas
Keeping the customer’s needs front and center is important when developing new digital tools. We recently developed a set of user personas as part of our work to establish a more robust—and data informed—understanding of the individuals that engage digitally with the National Archives (NARA). User personas are fictional, but realistic representations of key audience … Continue reading Improving Customer Experience with Digital Personas
JFK 100 Centennial Celebration
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of President John F. Kennedy. In commemoration of this centennial, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum will be hosting a series of events and activities throughout the year. JFK 100: Milestones & Mementos is the newest exhibition at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library … Continue reading JFK 100 Centennial Celebration
Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week
Today we celebrated Public Service Recognition Week with our annual 2017 Archivist's Achievement Awards Program. Since 1985, the first week of May has been set aside to honor the men and women who serve our nation as Federal, state, county, and local government employees. The Archivist’s Awards Ceremony provides the opportunity to thank all staff … Continue reading Celebrating Public Service Recognition Week
An Update on FOIA Improvement
The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) in the National Archives drives improvements to the federal government’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process by serving as a neutral party to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and agencies, and also by reviewing and identifying strategies to improve agency FOIA compliance. By carrying out these dual … Continue reading An Update on FOIA Improvement
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
Commemorating the Great War
April 6, 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I. As the largest repository of American World War I records, the National Archives holds a wealth of content and information documenting the U.S. experience in this conflict, including photographs, documents, audiovisual recordings, educational resources, articles, blog posts, lectures, and exhibits. … Continue reading Commemorating the Great War
The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant Experiences in America
On the eve of the American Civil War, 1.6 million Irish-born people were living in the United States, most in the major industrialized cities of the North. The stories of 35 Irish families whose lives portray the nature of the Irish emigrant experience are captured in Damian Shiels’ new book, The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant … Continue reading The Forgotten Irish: Irish Emigrant Experiences in America