In early October President Obama signed an Executive Order (EO) covering “Structural Reforms to Improve the Security of Classified Networks and the Responsible Sharing and Safeguarding of Classified Information.” The National Archives Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) is the Government entity charged with overseeing Executive Branch performance in executing the President’s program for classified information. … Continue reading Post Wikileaks
International Action On the Open Government Front
Today I am writing in from Toledo, Spain. I am pleased to be attending the 2011 Conference of the International Council on Archives (ICA). This morning I spoke on a panel with the National Archivist of Belgium, Karel Velle, and Director-General Arquivo Nacional Brazil, Jaime Antunes da Silva, for the ICA’s first plenary meeting on … Continue reading International Action On the Open Government Front
Digital Public Library of America
On Friday the first Plenary Session of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) was hosted at the National Archives. The Project was launched in October 2010 at a workshop convened at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and was the inspiration of Robert Darnton, the Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor and Director of the … Continue reading Digital Public Library of America
What’s Next?
Access to records in this century means digital access. For many people, if it is not online, it doesn’t exist. The use of social media to increase access is the new norm. NARA has been going after innovative tools and projects that increase digital access to our records, including projects that invite public participation. We … Continue reading What’s Next?
Life is Short
Steve Jobs will long be remembered for his entrepreneurial savvy, design intelligence, high standards, and ability to predict the future. The Wall Street Journal called him “the secular prophet.” I will remember him also as Steve Jobs the philosopher. His 2005 Commencement Address at Stanford is among the best I have heard or read—and I … Continue reading Life is Short
Igniting Joy
Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer have been analyzing 12,000 diary entries created by hundreds of employees in many different organizations in an attempt to understand inner work life: “the conditions that foster positive emotions, strong internal motivation, and favorable perceptions of colleagues and the work itself.” It is about the work, not the “accoutrements.” Meaningful … Continue reading Igniting Joy
In Support of Scholarship
As the nation’s record keeper, we are passionate about the opportunity to support research and scholarship at the National Archives. As part of this commitment to research and inquiry, we recently awarded the first National Archives Legislative Archives Fellowship to Dr. Peter Shulman, Assistant Professor of History at Case Western Reserve University. Peter Shulman in … Continue reading In Support of Scholarship
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
“You Puta Da $200.00 Dollars In A The Alley…”
Every time I visit a National Archives site around the country, I learn something new. Passionate staff educates me about the nature of the records in our custody. At each stop I have jaw-dropping moments. In a recent visit with our Chicago staff, I learned about Record Group 21, Records of District Courts of the … Continue reading “You Puta Da $200.00 Dollars In A The Alley…”
Reflections on Collection Security
Last week I had an opportunity to address the Preservation Section meeting of the Society of American Archivists. The theme of the meeting was holdings protection—balancing access to holdings with safeguarding them. And two of our Holdings Protection staff, Larry Evangelista and Richard Dine participated in a panel discussion reporting on what we have accomplished … Continue reading Reflections on Collection Security