NARA Internal Products and Services
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) creates a wide variety of audio, video and motion picture products from NARA records in response to reference requests as well as for planned preservation projects and internal staff use. We are providing these product specifications to:
- open discussions about standards adoption and increase government transparency
- demonstrate alignment with national and international initiatives
- provide contextual information for the moving image and audio products that we make
NARA's Internal Products and Services website is built around a set of Reformatting Approaches for the wide range of moving image and sound formats that are found in our holdings. The Reformatting Approaches pages link to detailed specifications for our many digital and motion picture film products and describe various factors that contribute to the selection of a particular product.
The Moving Image and Sound Preservation Labs also provide a wide array of preservation services to NARA, including the Presidential Libraries. These activities help ensure that the audio and moving image records of the United States government remain accessible to the American people and researchers around the world.
Get Started
Select a Reformatting Approach Based on Original Record Type
- Digital Output from Audio Source
- Digital Output from Video Source
- Digital Output from Motion Picture Film Source
- Film Output from Motion Picture Film Source
Understanding NARA Product Types (Physical Media and Digital)
Learn More About This Website
The information on this site should not be interpreted as guidance for federal agencies or other non-NARA stakeholders. For information tailored to agencies transferring permanent records to NARA, see Digitization of Federal Records.
If you would like to view the 2011 version of the Products and Services site that included textual and still image products, the content may be accessed using the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, which contains snapshots of the website captured between 2011 and 2022. NARA's current practice for the digitization of textual, microfilm, still image, and cartographic records aligns with the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) Still Image Working Group's Technical Guidelines for Digitizing Cultural Heritage Materials.
Comments or questions? Contact us at products.services@nara.gov.