New Research Center Features Ease, Speed, Efficiency

John W. Carlin

As you may be aware, the newly renovated Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom was reopened and the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights returned to public display on September 18. I am very happy that we are once again welcoming visitors at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.

Of course, while the Charters of Freedom are the most famous documents we care for at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the millions of other records we hold tell the stories of our people, our government, and our nation throughout its history.

For the last year, through the Our Documents project, students, teachers, and people from all walks of life all across the country have been reading and learning about how one-hundred milestone documents have influenced the history of the United States and the society in which we live. All but four of these milestone documents are records held by NARA.

We are now in the second phase of this project. The People's Vote. This exciting program gives Americans of all ages and educational backgrounds the opportunity to cast their vote for the ten documents they think have had the biggest impact on our country. We are very pleased to have U.S. News and World Report and National History Day as our partners for The People's Vote. You can cast your vote online at <http://www.usnews.com/vote> or in person at NARA facilities across the country.

I am also pleased to tell you that researchers will find their search for information and access to records easier, speedier, and more efficient as a result of the renovation of the National Archives Building. The new addition to our research complex officially opened on October 27 with the aim of improving "ready access to essential evidence," for the thousands of researchers that come to the NARA each year to search for information on U.S. history, the actions of government officials, or their own family history.

The Central Research Room will remain in its current location on the National Archives building's second floor, and researchers will continue to examine textual records in that room, except for military service records, pension files, and bounty land warrants. "Veteran" researchers who already have research cards and want to view textual records can proceed directly to the Central Research Room. New researchers should make their first stop the lobby area of the new center, just inside the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance.

The new center has more space, more microfilm, more finding aids, and enhanced staff assistance. Our goal is to provide an integrated approach to customer service and research. Along those lines, the renovated Research Center houses improved microfilm reading room space, dedicated space for pension and military service records research, improved library services, and areas set aside for research consultation.

The Genealogy Consultation and Microfilm Research rooms are the major components of the center. In these rooms, archivists and archives specialists assist researchers with genealogical research, issue research cards, and make microfilmed and microfiched indexes and records available.

Before researchers ever enter the Microfilm Research Room, NARA staff will assist them in developing research strategies and locating relevant microfilm publications. In this way, microfilm researchers can concentrate on their work without being disturbed by research consultations.

Also in the Genealogy Consultation Room, researchers will have access to computers to consult online finding aids. These include staff-prepared "search paths" on topics relating to military service, the African American experience, enumeration of American Indians, the careers of Federal employees, and other subjects.

The Microfilm Research Room now houses many more microfilm publications. New microfilm reader stations are more comfortable, afford more privacy, and offer more flat space on which to take notes. All microfilm readers are equipped with electrical power to facilitate laptop computer use. In addition, there are almost twice as many microfilm printers, to eliminate a long-time bottleneck for researchers.

Thousands of rolls of new microfilm publications will be added over the next several years. The ongoing project to microfilm the records of the Freedman's Bureau will yield several hundred rolls of microfilm documenting the African American experience during Reconstruction, and there also will be new microfilm publications that document military service.

Another new feature of the Research Center will be the Military Service Research Room, where researchers can examine compiled military service records for volunteer soldiers, pension files, and bounty land warrant files. This room is scheduled to open later this fall.

The role of the Archival Library Information Center (ALIC) in the research process has been increased, and the number of volumes available to researchers has expanded markedly. A large part of the ALIC's holdings have been in alcoves in the stacks, but now virtually all of ALIC's holdings will be in open shelving, making them readily available to researchers. This greater accessibility will be especially helpful for researchers working with the Official Register of the United States, the American State Papers, and other government publications.

The Research Center now has five times as many computer terminals as have previously been available. Positioned in the new Genealogy Consultation Room, the Finding Aids Room, and the Library, these computers provide researchers with access to NARA databases, such as the Archival Research Catalog, ALIC's catalog, and Access to Archival Databases. They also permit researchers to use finding aids to NARA records available on CD-ROM and will provide access to the Internet.

I invite you to visit the National Archives to see our improvements for yourself, whether you view the new exhibit in the Rotunda, take advantage of the resources in the new Research Center, or visit us online at <http://www.archives.gov>.