Just before Memorial Day, Eva Wall, a third grader at the Fiske School in Wellesley, Massachusetts wrote to tell me that her class was working on a Flat Stanley project. If you are not familiar with Jeff Brown’s 1964 children’s classic, illustrated by Tomi Ungerer, check it out. Eva sent me a hand colored flat … Continue reading Flat Stanley’s Magical Visit to Washington
This afternoon, the National Archives launched Founders Online—a tool for seamless searching across the Papers of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. Our National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) has been funding these projects in paper for some time. Working with Rotunda at the University of Virginia … Continue reading Founders Online
When Charles Lindbergh landed at LeBourget Field outside of Paris on the 21st of May 1927, among his first words- "Is there any news of Nungesser and Coli?" On the 8th of May, French aviators Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli took off from LeBourget in their plane, The White Bird, in an attempt to be … Continue reading Aiding in the Search for The White Bird
Cass Sunstein, former Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, in his new book, Simpler, shares the three most important things he learned during his time in the White House. "People stop making some important mistakes when they speak in a foreign language." Citing the example of cost-benefit analysis as a foreign language, … Continue reading Simplification
On the 15th of June in 1859, Lyman Cutlar, an American recently settled on San Juan Island, shot a pig which " ... having been at several times a great annoyance and that morning destroyed a portion of his garden ... " Affidavit of Lyman A. Cutlar Regarding Pig Shooting, September 7, 1859 (click on image to view … Continue reading Round Two of US-Canadian Rivalry
This week the American Society of Access Professionals (ASAP) honored the National Archives with its two highest awards. The President’s Award for Distinguished Public Service was awarded to Miriam Nisbet, Director of our Office of Government Information Services (OGIS). And the Director’s Award for Superior Public Service was awarded to the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB). … Continue reading Open Government Appreciations
Yesterday we celebrated the accomplishments of National Archives staff across the country in our annual Archivist's Awards Ceremony. I read from Senate Resolution 99 which commends public servants for their dedication and continued service to the United States and acknowledging that " ... public service is a noble calling." I also read from President Obama's … Continue reading Happy Public Service Recognition Week!
In early December 2009, Google announced on their blog titled "Personalized Search for Everyone" that they would be using 57 "signals" derived from your previous searching behavior in order to predict the sites you were most likely to choose in your search. Netflix, Yahoo, Facebook, and YouTube, to mention just a few, use similar predictive … Continue reading You Are What You Search
This week, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will dedicate the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. The facility will open to the public on May 1. Bush Library exterior, evening. Photo courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Center The Bush Library … Continue reading George W. Bush Presidential Center Dedication
On Monday, April 15, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum suffered a fire. It was quickly managed and extinguished by first responders from the Boston Fire Department and the Boston Police Department. My sincere thanks go to them for their extraordinary efforts. I am grateful that no one was injured. This fire occurred … Continue reading The Spirit of Boston
