Share your ideas for our next Open Government Plan!

Welcome to Sunshine Week, the week we celebrate open government and access to public information. This week, we are kicking off the development of our next Open Government Plan for 2016-2018. We need your ideas, suggestions, and feedback to make it happen! Submit your ideas by April 15, 2016: on History Hub in the Open … Continue reading Share your ideas for our next Open Government Plan!

NARA’s Open Government Plan for 2014-2016

On Friday, May 31, 2014, the Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero blogged about the release of our third Open Government Plan in the post, “Innovate to Make Access Happen.” You can access the agency’s newest Open Government Plan in PDF, Word, and at Archives.gov/open. Thank you for your feedback! We received more than … Continue reading NARA’s Open Government Plan for 2014-2016

Help us strengthen open government at the National Archives!

Starting today, we need your ideas, comments, and votes to help us revise the Open Government Plan of the National Archives.  Please visit the Open Government Idea Forum and take a few minutes to let us know what you think we should be doing to strengthen transparency, participation, and collaboration at the National Archives. Two … Continue reading Help us strengthen open government at the National Archives!

Tech Tuesday: Making the Right Connections

Many of us have met long-time computer types who began working with computers long before PCs began appearing in the late 1970s. We recently interviewed a fascinating man who celebrates 50 years of working with computers. He loves explaining how computers moved from being complex, monstrous beasts run by certain “intelligentsia” into practical, analytical tools for everyday people; to how computers today help us communicate and work with each other, within different, newer social frameworks. His career led him to some fascinating developments in computer science, including early contributions to the beginnings of the Internet, where he now sits at the helm of a strategic team that is braving the most challenging tasks of dealing with Government information in the clouds. Dr. George O. Strawn is not just another computer/IT official who rose from the ranks – he is one of the most important thought leaders within Federal Government IT circles today. Plus, he loves the National Archives, because he says, “we bring to the table some of the toughest IT problems for all of the federal government that need to be solved in our time.” Read the first in our series of Applied Research interviews called “At the top of our List: Thought Leaders You Should Know”

Tech Tuesday: What's the Buzz?

Being a journalist in this digital and new media age presents challenges and frustrations of tracking down and accessing Federal, State, and Local government information needed to produce responsible and accurate news products. Read today’s blog for an invitation to a free conference co-sponsored by NARA and Duke University on April 12, focusing on ways that journalists and researchers may better discover, access, and use digital government information.

Stop by to See Us at the NARA Genealogy Fair

Are you planning to attend the National Archives' 6th annual Genealogy Fair? If so, we hope you'll come visit us at our exhibit tables. NARA's new Open Government Plan (PDF) highlights how crucial social media is to opening up the Archives and establishes the redesign of Archives.gov as NARA's "flagship initiative." Stop by, bring us … Continue reading Stop by to See Us at the NARA Genealogy Fair

The National Archives and the Open Government Initiative

The National Archives is working on responding to the Obama Administration’s Open Government Directive of December 2009, which was issued to promote new lines of communication and cooperation between the federal government and the American people. The Open Government Directive is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/open/documents/open-government-directive. Stay tuned for updates!