NARA

NARA’s Genealogy Series – May 21-June 25, 2024

clairekluskens Asians, immigration, military records, Modern Military Records, NARA , , , , , , , , , ,

NARA’s annual Genealogy Series features staff experts speaking about records in National Archives custody. The 2024 series begins on May 21. This year’s line up includes:

  • Passport Records: Passport Applications at NARA, 1790s-1925 – May 21, 1 p.m. ET
  • After Their Service: Tracing the Lives of Native American Army Scouts – May 28, 1 p.m. ET
  • Captured German Records Related to American Prisoners of War During World War II – June 4, 1 p.m. ET
  • Alien Files (A-Files): Researching Immigrant Ancestors at the National Archives – June 18, 1 p.m. ET
  • World War II Enemy Alien Records Related to Japanese Americans at the National Archives – June 25, 1 p.m. ET

Don’t worry about missing the program! After their premiere, these videos will remain online on YouTube for future viewing.

What’s New in the National Archives Catalog?

clairekluskens Finding Records at NARA, NARA , , , , , , , , ,

NARA has reintroduced a user-friendly “What’s New in the National Archives Catalog” page at https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog/whats-new. This webpage may highlight visually interesting items along with a list of:

  • Recent bulk uploads of descriptions of records
  • Recent bulk uploads of descriptions with images of records
  • Recent uploads of images to previously existing descriptions

The list shows the part of the NARA that holds the records and gives a direct link to where the records are in the Catalog. As should be expected, digital images of very large record series will usually be uploaded in increments over time (months or years), as digitization is accomplished. Digital images of very small series are normally uploaded all at once, such as the single volume series, List of Special Agents Who Collected Cotton Statistics, 1900 (National Archives Identifier 3318884).

What will you find that’s new and interesting to you?

Ceremonial Swearing-in of 11th AOTUS, Dr. Colleen Shogan

clairekluskens Federal Employees, NARA, women

On Monday, September 11, 2023, the National Archives and National Archives Foundation held a swearing-in ceremony for the 11th Archivist of the United States (AOTUS), Dr. Colleen Shogan. The ceremony was presided over by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden gave keynote remarks.

First Lady Jill Biden spoke about the vast holdings of the National Archives and how they reflect us as a nation—“imperfectly marching toward a more perfect union.” As an educator, Dr. Biden also invoked the unofficial motto of the National Archives, what’s past is prologue, to affirm the importance of the institution’s role in learning our shared history. 

Dr. Shogan took her oath, administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., In an acknowledgment of the historic moment, she took the podium dressed in a white pantsuit, an homage to the suffragists who blazed the path for her and other women to not only participate in government, but also to lead it.

The archivist’s remarks laid out a bold future for the agency tasked with protecting and sharing our past. Prioritizing accountability, adopting new technology, and embracing creative outreach strategies were the main points of Dr. Shogan’s vision for the agency.

View the full remarks of Dr. Shogan here: https://www.archives.gov/about/speeches/shogan/swearing-in-ceremony

View the full remarks of Dr. Biden here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/09/11/remarks-as-prepared-for-delivery-by-first-lady-jill-biden-at-the-swearing-in-ceremony-for-the-national-archivist/

Text and photo courtesy National Archives Foundation, https://www.archivesfoundation.org/shogan-swearing-in/?goal=0_c756ed33da-436145da69-55221835&mc_cid=436145da69&mc_eid=60901072c3

Meet the Archivist: An Interview with Archivist of the United States, Dr. Colleen Shogan, July 24, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EDT (virtual)

clairekluskens NARA , , ,

You are invited! Join National Archives Foundation Executive Director Patrick Madden for a fireside chat with the new Archivist of the United States, Dr. Colleen Shogan. Viewers will learn more about her background and her vision for the National Archives. The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A. The event is online, free, and scheduled for Monday, July 24, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Register and submit your questions for Dr. Shogan at https://www.archivesfoundation.org/event/meet-the-archivist-an-interview-with-national-archives-foundation-executive-director-patrick-madden-and-archivist-of-the-united-states-dr-colleen-shogan/

Alien Enemy Index, 1917-1919, is Now Online

clairekluskens NARA, NARA--RG 60, naturalization, World War I , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recently completed digitization of the Alien Enemy Index, 1917–1919 (National Archives Identifier [NAID] 602456), that contains 57,722 index cards that document U.S. government interest in – and actions concerning – enemy aliens during the First World War.  Enemy aliens were citizens of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. You can read more about this index and the related records at “The Alien Enemy Index, 1917-1919, is Now Digitized!” at https://historyhub.history.gov/genealogy/b/genealogy-blog/posts/the-alien-enemy-index-1917-1919-is-now-digitized.

The map below, courtesy of Australia’s Digital Classroom, shows the European boundaries of the Central Powers whose citizens were considered enemy aliens.

Search Tips: When searching the Enemy Alien Index in NARA’s Catalog, keep in mind that the first name of some aliens are abbreviated, such as “Chas.” for Charles or “Robt.” for Robert. Therefore, if searching by first and last name yields no results, search by surname only, or even by first name only for unusual first names.  Also consider searching by alternate spellings of a surname if you get no results.  In addition, some women are listed by their husband’s name, such as Mrs. Theodore Zeigler (NAID 296756836). You can also browse through an entire file unit (there are 23 file units), but be sure to set the “Sort by” order to either “Title (Alphabetically, A-Z)” or “Title (Alphabetically, Z-A)” instead of “Most Relevant.”    

Map URL: https://digital-classroom.nma.gov.au/images/map-showing-first-world-war-alliances

A Gem You’ve Never Heard Of

clairekluskens Anti-Obscurant, Finding Records at NARA, NARA , , , , , ,

OK, before I tell you what the gem is, I need to give you a little background.

Did you know that the National Archives includes a library within its walls? Yes, indeed: It’s the “Archives Library Information Center” which has the acronym of ALIC.  It’s at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland (“Archives 2”), and is open to researchers as well as staff.  ALIC’s collections focus on archival science and books and periodicals relating to the records in NARA’s custody.

Neither you or I have time to read all the historical periodicals currently being published for great articles about persons, places, things, or events pertinent to the lives of our ancestors.  ALIC’s librarian does a little bit of that work for you, however, by compiling a Quarterly Compilation of Periodical Literature that focuses on identifying articles that cite records in NARA’s custody.  That means footnotes that might lead you to more information!

The Quarterly Compilation of Periodical Literature: 2022 (https://www.archives.gov/research/alic/periodicals/nara-citations/2022) includes – for just the first three quarters of this year – 454 articles on a broad range of topics, such as:

  • The dimensions of a Continental Army haversack like one your ancestor may have lugged around during the Revolutionary War.
  • The forgotten black coal miners of southern Wyoming.
  • Addiction to opium by Civil War veterans.
  • Marine Corps justice during the Civil War.
  • Federal compensation for property lost during the War of 1812.
  • Sicilian immigration to Braxos County, Texas, 1871-1921.

Each entry in the Quarterly Compilation includes the author; article title; journal with volume, page numbers, and date of publication; and the NARA Record Groups (RGs) or presidential libraries cited by the author. One example would be:  “Becker, Ann.  “The Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818.”  Historical Journal of Massachusetts 47, no. 2 (Summer 2019): 98-137.  RG015/RG046/RG233.”

The Quarterly Compilation dates all the way back to 2010.  In addition to these annual lists, however, the ALIC librarian has also compiled the articles into lists by Presidential Library or Record Group cluster, such as Genealogical, Old Army, Old Navy, Maritime, and many others.  These lists can help you hone in on specific topics of interest.

Now what?  You’ve searched the lists and made note of some great-sounding articles.  What then?  The reference librarian and/or Inter-Library Loan (ILL) Librarian at your own public library should be able to help you locate online or obtain off-line copies of the articles.  Still having trouble?  Reach out to the ALIC librarian; there’s an email address on the main ALIC webpage.

ALIC-QComp

David S. Ferriero, 10th Archivist of the United States, Retired on April 30, 2022

clairekluskens NARA , , , , , ,

David S. Ferriero, 10th Archivist of the United States, retired on April 30, 2022, after 12 years at the helm of the National Archives and Records Administration. A final interview conducted by staff member Victoria Malachi is available on YouTube. Debra Steidel Wall will serve as Acting Archivist until the next Archivist is nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

ICYMI: 50 Million Images Added to NARA’s Catalog Since August 2020

clairekluskens Finding Records at NARA, NARA , , , , , , , , , ,

With all the excitement and preparation for the 1950 census over the past several months, you may have missed it: Millions of images of textual records keep being added to NARA’s online Catalog.

According to NARA’s “Record Group Explorer” webpage, as of March 2022 there are 161,492,780 scans online representing 1.393% of the approximate estimated total of 11.5 billion textual pages in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration.

One month earlier, in February 2022, that number was 159,188,420 images: so in just one month, 2,304,360 images were added!

Back in August 2020, there were 111,114,108 images in the Catalog, so in 18 months, 50,378,672 images were added.

Fifty million, that’s a pretty big number. Considering that this growth happened during a pandemic that limited staff access to the buildings – and to the records – that’s pretty impressive.

U.S. Census Bureau Webinar to Provide Overview Ahead of 1950 Census Records Release, March 14, 2022, 1 p.m.

clairekluskens census, Finding Records at NARA, NARA, NARA--RG 29 , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The U.S. Census Bureau hosted a webinar on Monday, March 14, 2022, at 1 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, to give the media and data users an overview of 1950 Census records set to be released from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) on April 1.

The webinar highlighted statistics from the 1950 Census, the historical context to how the 1950 Census was conducted, and provided information from the NARA on how to access these records when they become available to the public and what resources are available now. The presenters are:

  • Sharon Tosi Lacey, U.S. Census Bureau, chief historian
  • Marc Perry, U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, senior demographer
  • Claire Kluskens, National Archives and Records Administration, genealogy/census subject-matter expert and digital projects archivist
  • Jewel Jordan, U.S. Census Bureau, Public Information Office, public affairs specialist (moderator)

Webinar video, slides, and other information

Resources: 1950 Census Records Release Press Kit

This post was updated 30 March 2022.