Provost's Lecture Series 2009/10
Are We Losing Our Memory? The View from the National Archives
Monday, March 22, 2010, 5-6:30 p.m.
Sociology-Psychology Building, room 130
David S. Ferriero
Archivist of the United States
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the independent agency of the U.S. Government responsible for the records of all the agencies of the government. NARA works with each agency to create records retention and disposal schedules, provides training in and oversight of agency procedures regarding their records, and ultimately retains 2-3% of those records as permanent historical records. The shift to electronic records systems, extensive use of electronic mail, and the emerging uses of social media herald a paradigm shift in the work of the government, the definition of "records", and NARA's responsibilities. As Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero is responsible for managing this paradigm shift and will share his agency's strategies and challenges in creating the records program of the future.
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