Legal Definitions - NARA

NARA stands for the National Archives and Records Administration.

NARA is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for preserving and documenting government and historical records. Its primary mission is to ensure the American public has access to the essential evidence of the rights of U.S. citizens, the actions of federal officials, and the national experience. This includes everything from the Declaration of Independence to modern electronic government files.

• Example 1: A history professor is writing a book about the environmental policies enacted during a specific presidential administration in the 1970s. To ensure accuracy and depth, the professor needs to review declassified government memos, legislative drafts, and agency reports from that era.

  This illustrates NARA's role because the professor would visit a NARA facility or search its extensive online catalog to access these historical government documents. NARA is mandated to preserve such records and make them available for academic research, providing critical primary sources for understanding past government actions.

• Example 2: A federal agency, such as the Department of Energy, is developing new protocols for managing its vast collection of digital research data, email communications, and administrative files. They need to ensure these records are properly stored, accessible, and eventually transferred for permanent preservation.

  This demonstrates NARA's function in setting standards and overseeing federal agencies' record management practices. The Department of Energy would consult NARA's guidelines and regulations for federal recordkeeping, which dictate how government information must be managed, preserved, and eventually transferred to the National Archives to prevent the loss of critical institutional knowledge.

• Example 3: A family is trying to trace their ancestry and believes their great-grandfather served in the U.S. Army during World War II. They are looking for official documentation of his service, including enlistment papers and discharge records, to complete their family tree and honor his memory.

  This highlights NARA's role in preserving and providing access to individual federal records, such as military service files. The family could submit a request to NARA to obtain copies of their great-grandfather's military records, which are part of the permanent collection of federal records maintained by NARA and are invaluable for genealogical research and personal historical understanding.