Since June 2009, the National Archives has made videos available on its YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usnationalarchives. We now have 292 videos available, which have been viewed over 160,000 times. Most videos are from our archival collections, including some from Presidential Libraries. Other videos represent current lectures and educational events. I hope you take some time … Continue reading My Top Ten YouTube Videos
Celebrate Good Times, Come On!
I celebrated Independence Day in the most spectacular way. I wasn't really prepared for how amazing the day would be. I felt proud and honored to be the Archivist of the United States. I was truly moved by the enthusiasm of the crowds lined up along Constitution Avenue to cheer as our float went by, … Continue reading Celebrate Good Times, Come On!
Citizen Archivists Making an Impact at the National Archives
On June 16, I joined Carl Malamud and members of the International Amateur Scanning League (IASL) in the Still Picture Research Room at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland. I was lending my support to their newest citizen archivist project -- scanning and making available online approximately 15,000 State Department photographs of diplomatic events … Continue reading Citizen Archivists Making an Impact at the National Archives
Releasing All We Can, Protecting What We Must
This past Wednesday, the National Archives hosted a public forum to discuss how the National Declassification Center (NDC) should prioritize the declassification of records. The forum was an active and lively discussion. We heard many suggestions and comments from members of the public on a draft prioritization plan. I was joined on stage by Sheryl … Continue reading Releasing All We Can, Protecting What We Must
Processing the Presidential Records of Elena Kagan
The quantity, breadth, complexity, and relevancy of our records are never more apparent than when the National Archives and Records Administration and the Presidential Libraries are called upon to process and make available the Presidential records of Supreme Court nominees. As the stewards of Presidential records, we take pride in this responsibility and recognize that … Continue reading Processing the Presidential Records of Elena Kagan
Huzzah! Aboard the U.S.S. Constitution
Last Friday, I stepped aboard the U.S.S. Constitution in the Charlestown Navy Yard of Boston Harbor. I joined Commander Timothy M. Cooper, his crew, and 150 members of the Wounded Warrior Project for an underway commemoration of the Battle of Midway. The ship honored injured service members from Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and … Continue reading Huzzah! Aboard the U.S.S. Constitution
Stars and Heroes Shine in our Military Personnel Records
The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis is the nation's depository for military personnel records. Within these records are the files of "Persons of Exceptional Prominence" including: Spiro Agnew, Desi Arnaz, Beatrice Arthur, Joe Louis, Humphrey Bogart, John William Coltrane, John Foster Dulles, Marvin Gaye, Theodore S. Geisel (AKA "Dr. Seuss"), Charles A. Lindbergh, … Continue reading Stars and Heroes Shine in our Military Personnel Records
Aristotle and Potlucks
Everyone brings their special dish to a potluck. It's what makes a potluck so terrific. We make dishes we know well and are likely to be enjoyed by the crowd. My signature potluck dish is a killer potato salad! Potlucks bring together the culinary expertise of the group in the same way that crowdsourcing leverages … Continue reading Aristotle and Potlucks
Citizen Archivist Discovers National Treasure in the Stacks
At the National Archives and Records Administration, we care for our nation's most beloved documents. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights are our most well known national treasures, but in the stacks there are many others, some of them not yet discovered. At a researcher meeting … Continue reading Citizen Archivist Discovers National Treasure in the Stacks
Discover the Civil War
In our new exhibit, "Discovering the Civil War," you can examine the hospital muster roll card of Christianna Batts, who was one of at least 2,000 African American women who worked in U.S. hospitals. Identified on the record as an "adult female contraband," she was most likely a runaway slave seeking safety behind Union lines. … Continue reading Discover the Civil War