David S. Ferriero's Blog, page 8

Animated Archives: Meeting People Where They Are

Our recently released social media strategy focuses on creating engaging digital content, while expanding digital storytelling to make records increasingly available and relevant with online audiences. The National Archives GIPHY channel does just that: combining our staff’s knowledge of new and emerging technologies with the rich content of the Archives showcases our holdings in fun and exciting ways. We are seeing that work pay off in a big way. 

In 2016, we launched the National Archives GIPHY channel, using GIFs, or animated images, we had created for our popular Today’s Document social media accounts. GIPHY is a crowdsourced image sharing website that allows you to search, discover, and share a wide variety of animated images in the GIF format. The animated GIFs on our channel include major historic events, celebrities, National Parks, newsreels, animated patents, dancing sailors, and more from the holdings of the U.S. National Archives. Our first year on GIPHY, our channel saw nearly 32 million views of animated GIFs on our channel. Since then, that number has steadily increased, and in fiscal year 2020, our channel saw 1.1 billion views, more than doubling the views of the previous year. Cumulatively, the animated GIFs on our channel have been viewed more than 2.3 billion times. 

Skateboarding GIF by US National Archives .
One of the most viewed GIFs on the National Archives GIPHY channel in 2020.

Our GIPHY channel currently has more than 700 animated GIFs created from National Archives holdings, including both motion picture films and still images. The channel averages over a million views a day. Through our GIPHY channel, the National Archives is able to gain tremendous exposure to new audiences, making our records more accessible and helping bring awareness to the Archives.

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Book of Question Marks

Smokey Bear: “THINK”

Dancing Dogs

Santa Claus with Astro-Kid

Skateboarders: “Whoa!”

Top 10 GIFs of 2020


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This GIF comes from “Surefootin’”, a vintage 1970s skateboarding safety PSA from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

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These adorable otters were featured in “The Warm Coat”, a 1969 documentary account of the airlift of sea otters from the Bering Sea to Alaskan coves, from the Department of Energy.

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Another excerpt from “Surefootin’.”

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“Let’s All Vote” is from a collection of Women’s Suffrage-themed GIFs created for #19SuffrageStories, a joint social media campaign between the National Archives, Library of Congress, and Smithsonian Institution celebrating the centennial of the 19th Amendment.

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This festive suffragist celebrates the passage of the 19th Amendment in “America’s Newsreel Album”, a U.S. Navy newsreel produced in 1959.

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The ever-popular “Dumpsie” and “Waffles” were the highlights in a Universal Newsreel from January 19, 1931. Donated to the National Archives by Universal Pictures, these newsreels contain a vast collection of historical news and curiosities.

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This nurse demonstrates proper mask procedure in a newsreel covering the 1918 Flu Pandemic.

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Flying Saucer?  Not quite. This is the experimental “Avrocar” from a collection of 1960s test footage from the Air Force.

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This endless series of question marks comes from “The Day the Books Went Blank”, a 1960s PSA on the importance of public libraries in civic society.

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“Women on the Warpath” includes this industrious mechanic, one of many women contributing to the war effort who were featured in the 1943 film produced by the Ford Motor Company.

Animated GIFs enable us to showcase records in a new light and inspire creative reuse of our holdings. Our hope is that our GIFs inspire a new generation of history lovers, make users more aware of the holdings of the National Archives, and might even inspire some to make their own GIFs or explore other uses with our records. We are constantly learning and proactively evolving our web presence in order to better serve the needs of our customers. These kinds of projects ensure that we continue to Make Access Happen and Connect with Customers in the digital era.

See for yourself!

Explore the National Archives Collection on GIPHY





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Looking for that perfect vintage GIF to share in your text messages, tweets, and other social media posts?  Using the GIF or GIPHY button in your app, just search on “ArchivesGIF”!

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Check out the National Archives on GIPHY !

National Archives and Museum of Indian Arts & Culture Share New Online Education Tool Expanding Access to Treaties between the U.S. and Native Nations

Thanks to the generous donation from an anonymous donor, NARA collaborated with our digitization partner to launch the Indigenous Digital Archive’s Treaties Portal on Indigenous People’s Day, October 12, 2020. This website provides public access to digital copies of NARA’s series of ratified Indian Treaties. We worked with Dr. Anna Naruta-Moya and her team at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to make this access happen.

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The ratified Indian Treaties, numbered 1–374, were transferred to the National Archives from the Department of State in the late 1930s. They are housed in a specially protected area within the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and are not pulled for use in the Central Research Room. Over 50 of the treaties are written on large sheets of parchment and several contain pictographs, drawings/maps, and wampum.  

I grew up in Massachusetts, a state with lots of Indian heritage, and used to walk the edge of a local lake collecting arrowheads. So it was from childhood on that I had an interest in those that were here first. Of all the things we have custody of and are responsible for—even the Charters of Freedom—I believe the Indian treaties are the most valuable documents in terms of reading the original language and the government promises, and realizing what was never delivered. I have had opportunities, as members of tribal elders or tribal lawyers have come to visit, to join them in the vault as they experience the same things.

NARA has been able to do needed conservation work, scan and digitize this historically and culturally important collection, and make these records accessible for anyone, anywhere, through our National Archives Catalog. Now, many more descendants of the original peoples can examine the names and seals and read the words set down by their ancestors so long ago. But more than that, the treaties are still relevant today as tribal leaders and lawyers continue to use them to assert their rights in court, such as in cases over land and water rights. With such increased access to these records, we plan to continue and increase our educational outreach to Native American communities, and to raise and increase awareness of Native American history.

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Ratified Indian Treaty 37: Eel River, Wyandot,Piankashaw, Kaskaskia, and Kickapoo – Vincennes, Indiana Territory, August 7, 1803. National Archives Identifier 81145643

Resources on the Treaties Portal website include classroom ready curriculum and a set of three video workshops by Professor of Law Librarianship Sherri Thomas (Taos Pueblo and Black). The “How-To” workshops cover “Treaties – What Are They?”, “Treaties – Historical Context”, and “Research You Can Do with the DigiTreaties Treaties Explorer”. Closed Captioning and transcripts are also available. An additional education tool, a set of Native designed Treaties Trading Cards, will be available for free download or ordering in print form.  

I hope you enjoy learning more about the treaties, and we look forward to further work in making our records more accessible.

Five-Year Social Media Strategy Released

The National Archives and Records Administration released a new, streamlined social media strategy this week, with a focus on creating more engaging digital content and increasing participation by staff in the spectrum of online platforms.

Beginning in Fiscal Year 2021 and spanning the coming five years, the National Archives aims to expand digital storytelling and make the agency’s records increasingly available and relevant with online audiences. The shift to working, studying, and experiencing culture almost exclusively online for much of the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the timeliness and significance of the new strategy.

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The social media team interacts with the public daily through several platforms, ensuring that the diverse audiences for the National Archives resources are able to connect with what the agency can provide. Online platforms also link agency staff, like archivists and researchers, to the public. More than 130 National Archives employees actively contribute to 139 social media accounts on 14 different platforms, generating hundreds of millions of views annually. Those are relationships that the social media team hopes to cultivate further in the coming years.

Through this strategy, we will connect our audience with our holdings, provide valuable online resources that give context to that history, and show how our staff across the National Archives work to achieve our mission and strategic goals.

This work has proved critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the demand for virtual experiences has grown more urgent. I am proud of the work of staff across the agency, who have risen to the challenge to create invaluable resources for community engagement, distance learning, public programs, and access to our records. All of this has been shared through social media. 

Read more in depth about the FY 2021-25 social media strategy.

The Electoral College: It’s a Process, Not a Place

The Electoral College is how we refer to the process by which the United States elects the President, even though that term does not appear in the U.S. Constitution. In this process, the States (which includes the District of Columbia just for this process) elect the President and Vice President. The Constitution of the United States and Federal law place certain Presidential election responsibilities on State executives.

The Office of the Federal Register (OFR), is a part of the National Archives and Records Administration and, on behalf of the Archivist of the United States, coordinates certain functions of the Electoral College between the States and Congress. 

The National Archives administers the electoral process by receiving Certificates of Ascertainment of electors and Certificates of Vote from the States and the District of Columbia. NARA’s Office of the Federal Register reviews the Certificates for legal sufficiency and makes them available to the Congress for the official accounting of electors and votes. OFR also provides the public with access to electoral documents and information about the Electoral College. In addition to posting them on our website, OFR makes the physical Certificates available for public inspection for one year following the election. After that year, the Certificates become part of the National Archives collection. The OFR has no role in appointing electors and has no contact with them.

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Certificates of appointment (or ascertainment) and vote of Massachusetts Electors for Abraham Lincoln for President, and Andrew Johnson for Vice President, in the 1864 Presidential Election. National Archives Identifier 134379652  

This year, the Presidential election and selection of electors will occur on November 3, 2020, and the State meetings of the electors will be held on December 14, 2020. 

The Governor of each State (including the Mayor of the District of Columbia) performs certain duties to carry out the functions of the Electoral College. Each State is responsible for documenting the selection of electors and the electors’ votes for President and Vice President, and for ensuring that properly executed certificates reach the appropriate Federal and State officials. 

Before the general election, the Archivist of the United States contacts the Governors of each State and the Mayor of the District of Columbia, sharing resources to help them carry out their responsibilities. I recently sent letters to each of the State Governors to offer assistance from the National Archives as they prepare to perform their responsibilities in the upcoming Electoral College process.  

The National Archives is committed to ensuring the smooth operation of the Electoral College process this year. Our website is now updated with this year’s deadlines along with the provisions of the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Code that relate to the election of the President and Vice President. The checklist and instructions for State officials, and an informational pamphlet for electors, are also available on that website: https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/state-officials.  

Meet Ike

“I come from the very heart of America.” – Dwight Eisenhower, June 12, 1945

At a time when the world fought to overcome tyranny, he helped lead the course to victory as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. When our nation needed a leader, he upheld the torch of liberty as our 34th president. As a new memorial is unveiled, now is the time for us to meet Dwight David Eisenhower.

[image error] Eisenhower Memorial statue and sculptures, photo by the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission

An opportunity to get to know this man can be found at the newly unveiled Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, DC, and the all-new exhibits in the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas. Each site in its own way tells the story of a humble man who grew up in small-town America and became the leader of the free world.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is a 22-acre campus which includes several buildings where visitors can interact with the life of this president. Starting with the Boyhood Home, guests discover the early years of Eisenhower as he avidly read history books, played sports, and learned lessons of faith and leadership. The library building houses the documents of his administration. With more than 26 million pages and 350,000 images, researchers can explore the career of a 40+-year public servant. The 25,000 square feet of all-new exhibits located in the museum building is where visitors get to meet Ike and Mamie again…for the first time. Using NARA’s holdings, guests gain insight into the life and times of President Eisenhower. Finally, visitors can be reflective in the Place of Meditation where Eisenhower rests beside his first-born son, Doud, and his beloved wife Mamie. A true encapsulation of his life.

[image error] Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene, Kansas

The updated gallery spaces were opened in 2019. The exhibition includes many historic objects from our holdings which highlight Eisenhower’s career through the military years and into the White House. Showcased items include Ike’s West Point letterman’s sweater, the D-Day Planning Table, Soviet lunasphere, and letters related to the Crisis at Little Rock. Several new films and interactives have been added throughout the exhibit including a D-Day film using newly digitized footage from the archives.

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In addition to facts and quotes, visitors will leave with an understanding of how his experiences made Ike the perfect candidate for Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and the 34th President of the United States.

The Eisenhower Memorial, which opened to the public on September 18, is located at an important historical corridor in Washington, DC. The 4-acre urban memorial park is surrounded by four buildings housing institutions that were formed during the Eisenhower Administration and was designed by award-winning architect, Frank Gehry. In 2011, the National Archives hosted Frank Gehry and his collaborator, theater artist Robert Wilson in a discussion about the creation of the Eisenhower National Memorial. 

As part of the creative process, Gehry’s team visited the Eisenhower Presidential Library and drew inspiration from the campus. They also used the holdings of the Eisenhower Presidential Library to form the plans for the memorial itself. This also led to the development of online educational programs which will have a continued life through the Eisenhower Foundation. Visitors to both sites will learn lasting lessons from President Eisenhower’s life of public service.

[image error] Eisenhower Memorial, photo by the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission

Welcome to the New ClintonLibrary.Gov!

The National Archives’ Presidential Libraries and Museums preserve and provide access to the records of 14 presidential administrations. In support of this mission, we developed an ongoing program to modernize the technologies and designs that support the user experience of our Presidential Library websites. Through this program, we have updated the websites of the Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower and Nixon Presidential Libraries. 

Recently we launched an updated website for the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum. The website, which received more than 227,000 visitors over the past year, now improves access to the Clinton Presidential Library holdings by providing better performance, improving accessibility, and delivering a mobile-friendly experience. The updated website’s platform and design, based in the Drupal web content management framework, enables the Clinton Presidential Library staff to make increasing amounts of resources available online—especially while working remotely during the COVID-19 crisis.

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To achieve this website redesign, staff from the National Archives’ Office of Innovation, with both web development and user experience expertise, collaborated with staff from the Clinton Presidential Library to define goals for the new website. Our user experience team first launched the project by interviewing staff of the Clinton Presidential Library to determine the necessary improvements for the updated website to facilitate their work. Next, the user experience team researched the Library’s customers—researchers, students, educators, and the general public—by analyzing user analytics, heatmaps, recordings of real users navigating the site, and top search referrals. Based on the data collected, the user experience team produced wireframes and moodboards that informed the final site design. The team also refined the website’s information architecture to improve the user experience and meet the Clinton Library staff’s needs. 

Throughout the project, the team used Agile project management development processes to deliver iterative changes focused on constant improvement. To be Agile, specific goals were outlined, defined, and distributed among team members for mutual agreement. Work on website designs and features was broken into development “sprints”—two-week periods to complete defined amounts of work. At the end of each development sprint, the resulting designs and features were demonstrated to the Clinton Presidential Library staff stakeholders for feedback which helped further refine the website.

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The project to update the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum website was guided by the National Archives’ strategic goals—to Make Access Happen, Connect with Customers, Maximize NARA’s Value to the Nation, and Build our Future Through our People. By understanding the needs of the Clinton Library’s online users and staff, and leveraging the in-house expertise of our web development and user experience staff, the National Archives is providing an improved website experience for all visitors. Please visit the site, and let us know what you think!

Democratizing Access to our Records

The National Archives has a big, hairy audacious strategic goal to provide public access to 500 million digital copies of our records through our online Catalog by FY24. When we first announced this goal in 2010, we had less than a million digital copies in the Catalog and getting to 500 million sounded to some like a fairy tale.

The goal received a variety of reactions from people across the archival profession, our colleagues and our staff. Some were excited to work on the effort and wanted particular sets of records to be first in line to scan. Some laughed out loud at the sheer impossibility of it. Some were angry and said it was a waste of time and money. Others were fearful that digitizing the records could take their jobs away.

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We moved ahead. Staff researched emerging technologies and tested them through pilots in order to increase our efficiency. We set up a room at our facilities in College Park to transfer our digital copies from individual hard drives to new technology from Amazon, known as snowballs.

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We worked on developing new partnership projects in order to get more records digitized. We streamlined the work in our internal digitization labs and we piloted digitization projects with staff in order to find new ways to get digital copies into the Catalog. By 2015, we had 10 million in the Catalog.

We persisted. In 2017, we added more digital objects, with their metadata, to the Catalog in a single year than we had for the preceding decade of the project. Late in 2019, we surpassed a major milestone by having more than 100 million digital copies of our records in the Catalog. And yes, it has strained our technology. The Catalog has developed growing pains, which we continue to monitor and mitigate.

We also created new finding aids that focus on digital copies of our records that are now available online: see our Record Group Explorer and our Presidential Library Explorer. So now, anyone with a smart phone or access to a computer with wifi, can view at least some of the permanent records of the U.S. Federal government without having to book a trip to Washington, D.C. or one of our other facilities around the country. The descriptions of over 95% of our records are also available through the Catalog, so even if you can’t see it immediately, you can know what records exist. And that is convenient for the millions of visitors we get each year to our website, even more so during the pandemic.

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We are well on our way to 500 million digital copies in the Catalog by FY24. And yet, with over 13 billion pages of records in our holdings, we know, we have only just begun.

Heroes Work Here

The National Archives is home to an abundance of remarkable records that chronicle and celebrate the rich history of our nation. It is a privilege to be Archivist of the United States—to be the custodian of our most treasured documents and the head of an agency with such a unique and rewarding mission. But it is my greatest privilege to work with such an accomplished and dedicated staff—the real treasures of the National Archives go home at night.

Today I want to recognize and thank the mission-essential staff of NARA’s National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). Like all NARA offices, the NPRC closed in late March to protect its workforce and patrons from the spread of the pandemic and comply with local government movement orders. While modern military records are available electronically and can be referenced remotely, the majority of NPRC’s holdings and reference activity involve paper records that can be accessed only by on-site staff. Furthermore, these records are often needed to support veterans and their families with urgent matters such as medical emergencies, homeless veterans seeking shelter, and funeral services for deceased veterans.

Concerned about the impact a disruption in service would have on veterans and their families, over 150 staff voluntarily set aside concerns for their personal welfare and regularly reported to the office throughout the period of closure to respond to these types of urgent requests. These exceptional staff were pioneers in the development of alternative work processes to incorporate social distancing and other protective measures to ensure a safe work environment while providing this critical service.

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National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) building in St. Louis

The Center is now in Phase One of a gradual re-opening, allowing for additional on-site staff.  The same group that stepped up during the period of closure continues to report to the office and are now joined by additional staff volunteers, enabling them to also respond to requests supporting employment opportunities and home loan guaranty benefits. There are now over 200 staff supporting on-site reference services on a rotational basis. Together they have responded to over 32,000 requests since the facility closed in late March. More than half of these requests supported funeral honors for deceased veterans.

With each passing day we are a day closer to the pandemic being behind us. Though it may seem far off, there will come a time when Covid-19 is no longer the threat that it is today, and the Pandemic of 2020 will be discussed in the context of history. When that time comes, the mission essential staff of NPRC will be able to look back with pride and know that during this unprecedented crisis, when their country most needed them, they looked beyond their personal well-being to serve others in the best way they were able.

As Archivist of the United States, I applaud you for your commitment to the important work of the National Archives, and as a Navy veteran whose service records are held at NPRC, I thank you for your unwavering support to America’s veterans.

Commemorating the 19th Amendment Centennial

Today’s post comes from Debra Steidel Wall, Deputy Archivist of the United States and Commissioner on the Congressional Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.

As the home of the 19th Amendment, the National Archives invites you to join our virtual commemoration of the centennial of the Constitutional amendment that guaranteed that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

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House Joint Resolution 1 proposing the 19th amendment to the states. National Archives Identifier 596314

This August, we will explore the complex story of the struggle for women’s suffrage, leading up to and beyond the certification of the 19th Amendment on August 26, 1920. The campaign for women’s suffrage was long, difficult, and often dramatic. The National Archives holds the records that help tell this story, including petitions, legislation, court cases, and more. 

Join us online as we highlight records from our holdings and examine the fight for women’s voting rights through virtual public programs for all ages.

Visit our 19th Amendment Centennial Events page to view and sign up for a full schedule of events, programs and activities. We will be adding more events and providing links as they become available.

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Photograph of a Suffrage Parade in New York City. National Archives Identifier 593556

You can also visit the Women’s Rights page for a wide variety of women’s rights topics, stories from our exhibit, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote, and a chance to participate in tagging and transcription missions on records related to women’s rights. 

Finally, from August 18 to 26, the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and many Presidential Libraries across the country will light up in purple and gold, the colors of the suffrage movement, from sunset to dawn. This lighting is part of the nationwide Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission (WSCC) Forward Into Light Campaign, named in honor of the historic suffrage slogan, “Forward through the Darkness, Into the Light.” I am proud to represent the National Archives on this Commission, which also offers a full month of commemorative activities. 

Employees across the National Archives have been planning this commemoration for more than a year. I’m thankful for their hard work and for their resourcefulness and creativity in developing an exciting observance of this landmark event as our own current public health events changed around us. 

We are honored to be the home of the 19th Amendment and to commemorate its 100th anniversary with the American people.

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Celebrate July 4th Online with the National Archives!

On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to adopt a resolution of independence, declaring the United States independent from Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved. 

While John Adams originally recognized July 2, 1776 as “the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America,” he envisioned future celebrations of the event. In a letter to his wife, Abigail Adams, he wrote:  “It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward for ever more.”

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The National Archives celebrates Independence Day with musical performances, a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence, and history-related family activities on July 4th, 2019 in Washington, DC. NARA Photo by Ted Chaffman.

As the trustee of our nation’s founding documents—the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights—the National Archives and Records Administration has a long tradition of celebrating this national holiday in a special way. This year, with museums in Washington, DC, and at the Presidential Libraries closed, the National Archives celebrates the 244th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in a new way—online.

Join us as we host a virtual Independence Day celebration on July 4, 2020, in partnership with the National Archives Foundation. The event will take place at 4 p.m. on @USNatArchives Facebook page and YouTube channel.  Several hours of additional educational programming will be offered throughout the day.

The virtual July 4th Schedule will be as follows: 

11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST July 4th family programming including welcome remarks from Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero, a discussion with Thomas Jefferson and other historical reenactors, including Abigail Adams, John Dunlap, and Dorothy Hancock. author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Chris Eliopoulos will talk about their Ordinary People Change the World book series. Register here . 
4:00 p.m. EST July 4th ceremony airs on @USNatArchives Facebook page and YouTube page. Tune in for the traditional reading ceremony, hosted and narrated by journalist Soledad O’Brien.

All July 4th activities are free and open to the public, but registration is required. See the July 4th schedule to register for a program and download activities and resources.

Wherever you are on July 4th, share your celebrations on social media using the hashtag #ArchivesJuly4. See more on National Archives News.

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Engrossed Declaration of Independence. National Archives Identifier 1419123  

Two hundred forty-four years ago, our founding fathers declared our independence and mutually pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor.  Today, as in 1776, we face fear, uncertainty, and challenges to our lives, economy, and general welfare. Throughout our history, as a nation united, we have confronted and overcome such threats. Let us continue to stay united as we strive for a more perfect – and more healthy – union.

We can often take for granted our founding documents. I encourage all of us to take time during our Independence Day celebrations to read these documents and to pause and remember the difficult choices our nation’s Founders made and the meaning of these documents today.

Engrossed Declaration of Independence
Constitution of the United States
Bill of Rights
Film of the transfer of the Charters of Freedom from the Library of Congress to NARA
Public Resolution directing the distribution of certain copies of the Declaration of Independence
Papers of the Continental Congress

I wish you all a safe and happy Independence Day!