Change is not easy, but NARA staff members are doing it with enthusiam and we are seeing the results. Wireless internet is now available for researchers who use our Washington, DC and College Park, MD facilities. This service is free and available to registered researchers. On Monday, we launched the redesigned Archives.gov. With your help, … Continue reading Change You Can See and Experience
In my first year on the job, I have become a fan of the daily horoscopes in the Washington Post. My favorite so far: Many feel limited by the work they do. You won't be in this category today, though. Your work expands you. You'll be excited by what you learn, and you feel privileged … Continue reading In an Archives State of Mind
Earlier this fall, I was struck by the photograph below, located on the wall outside the Still Pictures Room in our College Park facility. Capt. Edward J. Steichen, USNR, (retired), photographic expert on island platform, studies his surroundings for one of his outstanding photographs of life aboard an aircraft carrier. Capt. Steichen held the rank … Continue reading History Through the Camera Lens
President Lincoln issued a Proclamation of Thanksgiving in October 1863, which is well known for setting the precedent of our national holiday. Since 1863, we have celebrated Thanksgiving every year as a nation. Another Proclamation of Thanksgiving was issued a year later by President Lincoln. October 1864 was a pivotal time during the Civil War. … Continue reading Blessings of Peace, Union and Harmony
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking with Robert Poole, author of On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery. In the following video, Mr. Poole discusses his experience as a researcher at the National Archives and several Presidential Libraries, as well as the very first burial at Arlington National Cemetery. http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/pmzrE0D_obY?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6 What … Continue reading On Hallowed Ground: The History of Arlington National Cemetery
Every day at the National Archives, we fulfill veterans' requests for copies of their military records that document their service to our country. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO is an office of the National Archives, which has over 80 million permanent records and receives over 5,000 requests for military records … Continue reading Happy Veterans Day!
While I was the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries, E. Forbes Smiley III stole more than 70 maps from our Map Division and Rare Books division. Only 33 of the maps were ever recovered. Mr. Smiley was a rare map dealer, and a trusted friend of the New York Public … Continue reading The Impact of Theft
Federal agencies' Facebook posts, YouTube videos, blog posts, and tweets... are all of these Federal records? Increasingly, Federal agencies are using web 2.0 and social media tools to quickly and effectively communicate with the public. These applications, sites, and tools encourage public participation and increase our ability to be more open and transparent. The informal … Continue reading Are these Records?
Since my swearing in as the 10th Archivist of the United States less than a year ago, we've taken important steps to become a more open, transparent, participatory, and collaborative agency. I'm proud of our accomplishments: The development of our Open Government Plan A 300 percent increase in the use of social media tools to … Continue reading Open to Change
Last Wednesday, I celebrated the 235th birthday of the U.S. Navy at the USS Constitution Museum at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston. It was a fun event full of hometown pride and spirited debate. I brought with me Senior Archivist Trevor Plante and original records from the National Archives to discuss the Revolutionary origins … Continue reading Hometown Rivalries Debate the Birthplace of the U.S. Navy
