So have you ever wondered what all the numbers are that NARA associates with its records? If you have checked the Archival Research Catalog recently you might have noticed that one of our numbers has a new name. The former Inventory Identifier has been renamed the Inventory Entry Number. We heard from several researchers who … Continue reading What do all those numbers associated with NARA records mean?
Category: Online Research
Name your wiki!
Last week we asked for your help developing an “Archives wiki.” The first order of business is to name the wiki. We have a few names that you have told us you don’t want (like People’s Pedia) and a request not to be too stuffy, but no suggestions for names yet. So tell us what do … Continue reading Name your wiki!
List of records digitized by NARA's digitization partners now online!
In response to many researcher requests, we have added a list of the records digitized by our digitization partners, Ancestry.com and Footnote.com, to our web site. The list is arranged in alpha-numeric order by NARA microfilm publication number. You can re-sort the list by microform publication title, partner, or record group by clicking on the … Continue reading List of records digitized by NARA's digitization partners now online!
Participate in the Archives.gov Web Redesign Card Sort!
We are redesigning Archives.gov to make it easier and quicker for you to find the information you need as part of NARA’s Flagship Open Government Initiative. We want your opinions to help us to develop a web site designed for participation. Throughout the redesign process, we’ll be inviting you to participate by voting, sorting, commenting, … Continue reading Participate in the Archives.gov Web Redesign Card Sort!
Filing Manuals online!
Trying to find the War Department decimal classification number for the Maritime Labor Board or the Department of State's decimal classification number for extradition treaties? We have scanned some of the filing manuals which our researchers use most frequently and posted them in the researcher section of Archives.gov. Included are filing manuals from the War Department, the … Continue reading Filing Manuals online!
NARA and the 2010 Census
This guest blog post was written by Paul Wester, head of the Modern Records Programs at NARA. Portions of the genealogical community are under the impression that the 2010 Decennial Census forms will not be preserved by the NARA. This impression is mistaken. NARA has not officially received and registered a proposed records retention schedule … Continue reading NARA and the 2010 Census
Family Tree Friday: A few slave manifests still survive.
Since February is Black History Month, it seems appropriate to mention some of the lesser-known records that are available for African American research at the National Archives. Among those are vessel manifests that document the antebellum domestic slave trade. Even though Congress outlawed the slave trade in 1807, the law of course did not prohibit … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: A few slave manifests still survive.
Question: What are some good examples of interactive historical timelines on the Web?
The internet provides lots of great tools and services to help genealogists and historians understand the evolution of relationships and events over time. From teachers to big corporations, researchers at all levels can benefit from these innovative new tools, one of the most effective of which is the interactive map or timeline. One example of … Continue reading Question: What are some good examples of interactive historical timelines on the Web?
Tech Tuesdays
Thanks to your great feedback on our recent Family Tree Fridays and NARA Staff Favorite posts, we're considering introducing another specialized series here on NARAtions. This new set of posts, called Tech Tuesdays, would allow us to start a discussion about the cutting-edge technologies that are being developed across the archives field (a topic we're … Continue reading Tech Tuesdays
Family Tree Friday: Volunteer vs. Regular Army service was documented differently.
Most people have a relative or ancestor who either served in the military or fought during a specific war. Many researchers are unaware, however, that a significant distinction exists between volunteer soldiers and Regular soldiers, and that the two types of service are documented differently. Volunteers (citizen soldiers) were enlisted to serve during specific wars … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Volunteer vs. Regular Army service was documented differently.