Why is it so hard to get documents from the National Archives about the National Archives?
by Anthony Clark, posted on the History Network News
prezlibs
Anthony Clark’s blog
Archival Agitators and Advocates: Anthony Clark
Lecture Series at the iSchool at the University of Pittsburg
This has sparked many articles and entries in the records community regarding NARA, public access to public records and presidential libraries.
NARA’s Management of Presidential Library Records: Revelations and Results
Kate Theimer, The Records Manager. November 2008.
NARA and Anthony Clark; What NARA Can’t Do, What NARA Must Do and What NARA Should Do.
Posted by Kate T., ArchivesNext
NARA, SAA and Anthony Clark
Posted by Richard Cox, Reading Archives
Public access to presidential records
Posted by Gordon, The Posterity Project
Tags: accessibility, accountability, Anthony Clark, ethics, Freedom of Information Act, NARA, National Archives and Records Administration, public perception
Thanks for including the “The Records Manager” article by Kate Theimer in there. She went to a lot of work for that article and I’m glad it is part of the ongoing discussion readings.
This post was created for a current events presentation to my Records Management class. The articles I listed were some of the ones that first brought my attention to the issue, but they were also ones where I felt a lot of factual impartial information was included. I do not feel that I have enough knowledge on the NARA system to make an entire entry worth of comments, but my first impressions include:
1. That was some poor customer (consituent?) service.
and
2. It seems that there is some confusion on why collections aren’t available. And if there isn’t confusion, it seems that people didn’t get their stories to match up. Kind of a big “oops” for someone writing about your insitution.
And I think that is all of my 2 cents that I can give, like I said, I don’t feel I know enough to be more critical, but I did have quite the immediate and strong reaction while reading about the situation.
I am a current archives student–like yourself–and a student at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Cox is one of my professors and I attended Mr. Clark’s lecture.
I think you’re right that the ins and outs of NARA are complicated and difficult to parse for outsiders, especially students like ourselves. And to me, that is exactly the issue at the heart of all of this.
It is difficult to figure out what is going on because documentation that should be accessible isn’t, and when it’s requested through appropriate channels, those requests are not handled properly.
Mr. Clark certainly believes that there is a concerted effort on the part of individuals within NARA to hide evidence of unethical behavior. Without commenting on my personal views of his position, even the appearance of impropriety is damaging for an institution and a profession whose core values and responsibilities specifically concern the importance of evidence, openness, and access.
We should have at least the same expectations for institutions and individuals within our own profession as we do for those with whom we interact.