In 2011, we introduced the tagging feature in the National Archives Catalog as a way to invite citizens to contribute their knowledge and expertise to archival descriptions: the “Wisdom of the Crowd.” Within the first month, we celebrated more than 1,000 user-contributed tags; each added with the goal of enhancing records and helping to improve … Continue reading Catalog Contributions: Celebrating the “Wisdom of the Crowd”
An enumeration district (ED), as used by the Bureau of the Census, was an area that could be covered by a single enumerator (census taker) in one census period. Enumeration districts varied in size from several city blocks in densely populated urban areas to an entire county equivalent in sparsely populated rural areas. During the … Continue reading NARA Staff Collaborate for Improved Access to the 1950 Census
In keeping with the recommendations from my Task Force on Racism, NARA chartered the Reparative Description and Digitization Working Group in July of 2021. Since then, the Working Group has been reviewing guidance, standards, and processes relating to reparative archival description as well as benchmarking the work of peer institutions. Yale University Library notes that reparative … Continue reading Guiding Principles for Reparative Description
After 12 years as the tenth Archivist of the United States, I have decided to retire, effective mid-April 2022. As I wrote to President Biden, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve my country once more, this time to lead the Executive Branch agency charged with ensuring that the American people can … Continue reading Retirement of Archivist David S. Ferriero
In order to advance equity and integrate the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) into our agency’s decision-making, I have created two new leadership positions at NARA, the Chief Equity Officer and the Chief Diversity Officer. The Chief Equity Officer is a newly-created position in the Senior Executive Service that will report directly … Continue reading Leadership Changes to Advance Equity
Thanks to the persistence and dedication of many NARA staff and the help of our partners, the number of digital copies of our records in the National Archives Catalog surpassed 150 million. Digitizing large quantities of our records is an important goal for NARA because we know that not everyone can come to our facilities … Continue reading Celebrating 150 Million Digital Copies in the Catalog, Part 4: Highlights from the Presidential Libraries
November 11 marks the annual observance of Veterans Day, a day on which we honor the courageous women and men who have served in the United States military. Marines come ashore near Da Nang Air Base on March 8, 1965. (National Archives, RG 127; National Archives Identifier 26382181) The National Archives is proud to have … Continue reading Honoring our Veterans
Thanks to the persistence and dedication of many NARA staff and the help of our partners, the number of digital copies of our records in the National Archives Catalog surpassed 150 million. Digitizing large quantities of our records is an important goal for NARA because we know that not everyone can come to our facilities … Continue reading Celebrating 150 Million Digital Copies in the Catalog, Part Three
In my last post, I noted that through the persistence and dedication of many NARA staff and the help of our partners, the number of digital copies of our records in the National Archives Catalog surpassed 150 million. Digitizing large quantities of our records is an important goal for NARA because we know that not … Continue reading Celebrating 150 Million Digital Copies in the Catalog, Part Two
Thanks to the persistence and dedication of many NARA staff and the help of our partners, the number of digital copies of our records in the National Archives Catalog has just surpassed 150 million. Digitizing large quantities of our records is an important goal for NARA because we know that not everyone can come to … Continue reading Celebrating 150 Million Digital Copies in the Catalog
