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Skip to content Inspiring exploration of our nation's past through digital access and engagement NARAtions Menu About NARAtions Policies NARA’s Record Group Explorer: A New Path into NARA’s Holdings October 2, 2019 October 2, 2019 by usnationalarchives , posted in Catalog , Citizen Archivists , Digitization This post was written by Pamela Wright, Chief Innovation Officer. With billions of pages of records, there’s no question that the holdings of the National Archives are vast. The breadth can be intimidating to researchers and online users, especially first-time users, who may not have familiarity with the organization and management of archival material. One … Continue reading NARA’s Record Group Explorer: A New Path into NARA’s Holdings Tagged catalog , citizen archivist , Digitization , Digitization Strategy , online catalog , online resource 9 Comments Digitized Records in the National Archives Catalog: How Do They Get There? September 24, 2019 September 24, 2019 by usnationalarchives , posted in Catalog , Digitization , Tech Tuesdays Today's post comes from Jon Fletcher, Archives Specialist (Data Standards) in the Digital Public Access Branch of the Office of Innovation. Digital Imaging Lab, 12/2/2005 NAID 66798226 A great deal of work goes into preparing digitized records for inclusion in the National Archives Catalog. Each subsequent step along the lifecycle of digitized records is a … Continue reading Digitized Records in the National Archives Catalog: How Do They Get There? Tagged digital records , Digitization , lifecycle , metadata , National Archives Catalog , online catalogs , transformation Leave a comment New Search Feature: Optical Character Recognition (OCR) September 9, 2019 September 9, 2019 by usnationalarchives , posted in Catalog , Citizen Archivists , Digitization , Research , transcription This post is from the September 5th issue of the National Archives Catalog Newsletter. With more than 92 million pages of digitized records available to search in the National Archives Catalog, we are always working on ways to improve search results to better help you find what you’re looking for. That’s why we’re excited to … Continue reading New Search Feature: Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Tagged catalog , OCR , Optical Character Recognition Leave a comment Refine Your Search by Record Group or Collection July 29, 2019 by usnationalarchives , posted in Catalog , Research Today’s post comes from Suzanne Isaacs, Community Manager, National Archives Catalog Researcher Reviewing Records, 3/1968 National Archives Identifier 23855361 If you’ve ever searched in the Catalog, you’re probably familiar with the refinements available with your search results in the left margin, e.g. Refine by Level of Description, Refine by Type of Materials, or Refine by … Continue reading Refine Your Search by Record Group or Collection 2 Comments John and Charles Gordon, a Father and Son in the 49th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment June 11, 2019 by catherinebrandsen , posted in Uncategorized "Oh yes, I knew John Gordon, and his daddy too." - a comrade of John and Charles Gordon John Gordon, later in life. National Archives ID 122162774 During the early nineteenth century, the tobacco industry in the Upper South declined as the cotton industry in the Deep South grew. To meet the growing demand for … Continue reading John and Charles Gordon, a Father and Son in the 49th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment Tagged African Americans , Civil War , Innovation Hub , scanning 1 Comment Transcriptions Reveal Life in the Trenches June 5, 2019 June 5, 2019 by Meredith Doviak , posted in Catalog , Citizen Archivists , crowdsourcing , Online Research , transcription If you are familiar with our Citizen Archivist program, you know that we encourage online volunteers to transcribe digitized historical records held in the National Archives Catalog. We often say that these transcriptions help unlock history by improving search results, readability, and access to historical records. So how exactly are your contributions unlocking history? A … Continue reading Transcriptions Reveal Life in the Trenches Tagged citizen archivist , National Archives Catalog , transcription , World War I Leave a comment Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Wikipedia Edit-a-thon on May 8, 2019 April 30, 2019 April 30, 2019 by kathleenbrown18 , posted in crowdsourcing , Events , Innovation Hub This Asian Pacific American History Month, join archivists, historians, and the public for a Wikipedia edit-a-thon on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 from 10 AM - 1:00 PM in the Innovation Hub at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Register for this free event on Eventbrite. Two of the nine American soldiers of Japanese ancestry ... … Continue reading Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Wikipedia Edit-a-thon on May 8, 2019 Tagged APA History , Asian Pacific American History , Asian Pacific American History Month , Wikipedia Leave a comment Become a Wiki Scholar! Work with records from the National Archives to expand coverage of women’s suffrage in the United States in Wikipedia April 19, 2019 April 19, 2019 by usnationalarchives , posted in Catalog , Citizen Archivists , Collaboration , GLAMs , Online Research Today’s post comes from Pamela Wright, Chief Innovation Officer. At the National Archives, we are continually seeking new ways to share the wealth of history in our physical and digital holdings. Initiatives like our Citizen Archivist Dashboard create new opportunities and avenues for the public to engage with our records. We also take the heart … Continue reading Become a Wiki Scholar! Work with records from the National Archives to expand coverage of women’s suffrage in the United States in Wikipedia Tagged 19th amendment , Rightfully Hers , suffrage , Wiki Education , Wiki Scholars , Wikipedia , women's history Leave a comment What’s in a Name? March 28, 2019 March 28, 2019 by kathleenbrown18 , posted in Catalog , Collaboration , GLAMs , Uncategorized We are all unique, but for most of us, our names are not. The same is true for authors, actors, and even major or minor historical figures who share the same or similar names. So how do libraries, archives and museums collocate the right name to the right item or collection? The answer is authority … Continue reading What’s in a Name? Tagged authority and description , authority control , NAF , Name Authority Files , Person Name Authorities Leave a comment Become a Wiki Scholar! December 10, 2018 December 10, 2018 by usnationalarchives , posted in Collaboration , crowdsourcing , exhibits , Online Research Today’s post comes from Pamela Wright, Chief Innovation Officer. In March 2019, the National Archives Museum will launch an exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment: Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. Visitors will learn more about the history of suffrage in the United States, basic civics, suffragists, why voting matters, the … Continue reading Become a Wiki Scholar! Tagged Rightfully Hers , suffrage , Wikipedia , women's history 1 Comment Posts navigation Older posts Search for: Follow Blog via Email Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 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