Check Your List Twice for #ArchivesGIFgiving

Just like eggnog, #ArchivesGIFgiving comes but once a year. On Friday, December 10, you’re invited to the second Archives Hashtag Party GIF exchange! In the spirit of the season, we’ll be “giving” GIFs to other cultural institutions. We hope you’ll share a GIF from your holdings, tag a fellow organization with a GIF they’ll love, or … Continue reading Check Your List Twice for #ArchivesGIFgiving

Join the Fourth of July Conversation on Social Media

Every year, Independence Day at the National Archives is an exciting and celebratory day. In addition to signing a facsimile of the Declaration of Independence, hearing "America the Beautiful" performed by an international champion whistler, and mingling with Thomas Jefferson and Abigail Adams, you can join us this year in tweeting, Instagram-ing, and sharing on … Continue reading Join the Fourth of July Conversation on Social Media

Ford Library participates in Wikimedia’s GLAM project

“As soon as I left the session, I knew that this would be a ground-breaking project for us,” said Bettina Cousineau, Exhibits Specialist at the Gerald Ford Library and Museum. Cousineau was at this summer’s Association of Midwest Museums Conference in Indianapolis, IN, and attended the session "Wikimedia: Commons and GLAM" presented by Lori Phillips, … Continue reading Ford Library participates in Wikimedia’s GLAM project

The Crossroads of the Genealogy World

Today's post comes from Gregory Marose, an intern in the National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications Pennsylvania Avenue is synonymous with iconic destinations and extraordinary events. From the White House to the United States Capitol, the notable institutions that line the street have hosted many of America’s most momentous occasions. Last month, the National … Continue reading The Crossroads of the Genealogy World

Join us for Social Media Week DC!

Our business may be the past, but here at the Archives, we use today's social media tools to bring history to you. Join us for Social Media Week DC with some exciting events. All events will take place in the William G. McGowan Theater in Archives I in Washington, DC. Thursday, February 16 Want to … Continue reading Join us for Social Media Week DC!

NARA, Wikipedia, and the Day of Infamy

No, I'm not talking about January 18, when English Wikipedia went dark in protest of the House's  proposed Stop Online Piracy Act and the Senate's PROTECT IP Act. (Just 10 years ago, having no Wikipedia would not have fazed me in the least. We still had a dial-up Internet connection, and I regularly visited a brick-and-mortar library … Continue reading NARA, Wikipedia, and the Day of Infamy

Inspired by the Archives! Top Ten Tips for Writers

This post was written by Laura Brandt and originally appeared on the Facebook page of the Foundation for the National Archives. Flexing your literary muscles this month but facing writers' block? Don't forget that the National Archives has a wealth of information to enhance your tale, whether you are writing a historical novel or are … Continue reading Inspired by the Archives! Top Ten Tips for Writers

Get your smartphone–we’re on SCVNGR!

We're excited to announce that you can now play with historic records outside the National Archives Building! The Foundation for the National Archives, the National Archives’ nonprofit partner, has partnered with mobile gaming company SCVNGR to build a game that lets you experience our historic records in the very places where their creators lived and worked. … Continue reading Get your smartphone–we’re on SCVNGR!

Social Media for Genealogists

Are you thinking of starting to research your family tree? Or maybe you're wondering how to use bounty land warrants to find your ancestors? Or do you're confused on how to search immigration records? The National Archives has programs and resources for beginning and expert genealogists. And one way to use these resources, regardless of where you are … Continue reading Social Media for Genealogists

Tag! You know something!

Last week on Facebook, I posted up a image that my colleague found for Shark Week. It wasn't a biological shark, but a mechanical one. The caption provided some basic information: "A Chinese soldier guards a line of American P-40 fighter planes, painted with the shark-face emblem of the 'Flying Tigers,' at a flying field somewhere in … Continue reading Tag! You know something!