Federal Records Management

NARA Bulletin 96-02

ATTENTION! This page has been superseded. The information listed below is no longer accurate. For NARA's current guidance please visit  http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins.  Please note that this page is available only as a technical and historical reference.

October 12, 1995

TO: Heads of Federal agencies

SUBJECT: Declassification review support at NARA facilities

1. Purpose.

This bulletin provides information on procedures for agency access to classified records held at NARA facilities and the types of support that NARA facilities can offer to agencies processing records for declassification under Executive Order 12958.

2. Expiration date.

This bulletin will remain in effect until September 30, 1997.

3. Background.

E.O. 12958 requires agencies to eliminate the backlog of over 25-year old security classified records over the next five years. Many of these records are located in one of the National Archives facilities in the Washington, DC, area; Federal records centers; regional archives; or Presidential libraries.

4. Classified accessioned records located in the Washington, DC area.

  1. Records. Records that have been accessioned into the National Archives of the United States for which the Office of the National Archives, the Center for Legislative Archives, and the Center for Electronic Records are custodians.
  2. NARA point of contact. The Records Declassification Division will coordinate declassification activities for archival records held at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and the National Archives at College Park in College Park, MD. Contact Jeanne Schauble, Director, Records Declassification Division, at 301-713-6600. Her mailing address is 8601 Adelphi Rd., College Park, MD 20740-6001.
  3. Access procedures.
    (1) With the exception of records of the Center forLegislative Archives, all records will be made available for agency review at the National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD (Archives II). Hours will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except by special arrangement. Records of the Center for Legislative Archives will be made available at the National Archives Building on Pennsylvania Avenue by prior arrangement. Because NARA is still moving classified records into the College Park facility, some records will not be available for review until the move is complete. NARA will not loan back records for review or make copies to send to agencies for review.
    (2) After verification of security clearances, the Records Declassification Division will provide agency reviewers with work space and access to the stacks. However, because of limited space, we may not be able to accommodate large teams. Visits must be scheduled at least a week in advance. All agency reviewers will be given a short orientation to the Archives and must agree to follow proper procedures for the handling of archival records.
    (3) We can provide limited access to computers and copying machines. Agency reviewers will be allowed to bring in computers and copying machines subject to prior approval. A secure telephone is available at Archives II, but, at the present time, no secure fax.

5. Classified accessioned records held in the Regional Archives.

  1. Records. The following Regional Archives hold some classified records: New England Region (1NS-B), Northeast Region (2NS), Mid-Atlantic Region (3NS), Southeast Region (4NS), Southwest Region (7NS), Pacific Southwest Region (9NS-L), Pacific Sierra Region (9NS-S), and Pacific Northwest Region (10NS). The major agency equities represented at the Regional Archives are Navy, DOE and NASA.
  2. Point of contact. Attachment 1 lists the Regional Archives that hold classified records, including hours of operation and the areas they serve, the Regional Archives directors, and the points of contact for each region. For more specific information about records or services or schedule visits, contact the individual listed as the point of contact for the appropriate Region.
  3. Access procedures.
    (1) The Regional Archives are able to provide only limited support to agency reviewers because of their small size. Most regions have only one or two cleared staff members. Agency reviewers must make arrangements for visits as much in advance as possible to ensure availability of cleared staff to assist them. In some regions, classified records are located off-site and regional staff require advance notice of the records to be reviewed so they can be pulled. We recommend that agencies contact the Region at least one week and, if possible, one month in advance. We also recommend that agency personnel contact the Region the day before their visit to confirm that no unexpected problems have arisen. The Regions will make an attempt to allow agency visits at the time desired by the agency. However, because of other scheduled events and researchers, it may not always be possible. The Regions vary in the number of researchers that can be accommodated at one time. We request that agencies not plan to send large teams to the regions.
    (2) The Regions will not loan records back to agencies for review. The Region will copy and send records to the agency for review only in cases where the amount of records requiring agency review are too small to justify an agency visit.
    (3) In general the Regions can provide only limited computer access for unclassified information. Agency personnel can bring computers, but the regions recommend laptops. The Regions can provide limited copying facilities. Standard copying charges will apply. Agencies may bring their own copiers except in the Southwest Region and the Pacific Southwest Region. The Regions do not have secure telephones or fax machines.

6. Classified material held by Presidential libraries.

  1. Materials. The Office of Presidential Libraries (an administrative office within NARA), the Nixon Presidential Materials Staff, the George Bush Presidential Materials Project, and all of the libraries have in their custody classified materials which were sent to the President and White House staff. These materials often contain multiple equities, most frequently NSC, State Department, CIA, DOD, DOE, and FBI. Attachment 2 lists the Presidential Libraries and their hours of operation.
  2. Point of contact. The directors listed in Attachment 2 serve as the points of contact for the Libraries.
  3. Access procedures.
    (1) Agencies should contact the Office of Presidential Libraries and the individual libraries as soon as possible prior to anticipated visits of agency reviewers so they may plan staff support, prepare work space and equipment, and make any other necessary arrangements to accommodate the visits.
    (2) Each facility will verify security clearances and provide an orientation to the facility and the handling of Presidential materials. Agency reviewers will be allowed to bring in computers subject to approval and coordination with the individual facility. The amount of staff support and space available varies at each facility. Every facility, however, will have some staff members available to assist the reviewers.
    (3) Copiers are available at each site. All facilities except the Hoover and Roosevelt Libraries have secure telephones. Only the Office of Presidential Libraries and the Bush Presidential Materials Project have secure fax.

7. Classified records stored by Federal records centers.

  1. Records.
    (1) A complete listing of classified records for each agency located at all Federal Records Centers (FRCs) throughout the country can be requested by telephoning the Washington National Records Center at 301-457-7010. The listing will provide enough information, in most cases, to determine if the records may be affected by E.O. 12958. The listing is broken out by FRCs so the agencies can determine where all of its records are stored.
    (2) Attachment 3 lists the Federal Records Centers located throughout the country and the area that they serve. Although classified records may be stored at several of these facilities, the majority of the classified records affected by E.O. 12958 are located at the Washington National Records Center in Suitland, Maryland.
  2. Point of contact. The FRC directors listed in Attachment 3 serve as the points of contact. However, since FRCs are not staffed to provide accelerated service, it may be necessary to establish a reimbursable agreement with NARA to meet the needs of the agencies. Contact the Director of the Field Operations Division at 301-713-7210 in the Office of Federal Records Centers (NC) to determine if a reimbursable agreement will be required. (Mailing address: Office of Federal Records Centers (NCF), 8601 Adelphi Rd., College Park, MD 20740-6001.) Arrangements for access to the records should be made with the FRC director.
  3. Access procedures.
    (1) Agencies should contact the records center where the records are stored to arrange for access. This contact should be made prior to conducting any declassification activities. Space and support services for on-site declassification reviews may not be available at all records centers. Whenever possible, particularly with small volumes of records, agencies should arrange to have records retrieved from FRC's and sent to project teams or offices assembled to handle the declassification review. Agencies should provide all of the necessary paperwork to pay for the transfer of the classified materials. When the declassification review is completed, the records should be returned to the FRC where they were originally stored.
    (2) Agencies should make arrangements in advance to review classified records at the FRCs. Due to limited research room space, records may need to be taken off-site for declassification review. Contact the appropriate FRCs for information about research room space and availability. With verification of security clearance, and after a short orientation, agency personnel may be given access to the stacks at the discretion of the Center Director.
    (3) FRCs do not generally have secured telephone lines, fax machines, copy machines, or telephones located in or near classified research rooms. Agencies should coordinate with each FRC before arrival to determine what equipment and services are available. FRC staff members do not have declassification authority and cannot assist agencies with the declassification process.
  4. Declassification markings for FRC holdings.
    (1) NARA will not require agencies to stamp a declassification marking on each document or folder since it is understood that any documents not flagged as exempted will be declassified at the end of the 5-year period for implementation of E.O. 12958.
    (2) Agencies must place either a label or a stamp on the outside of each box of classified records screened by the agency. The label or stamp must indicate whether the records in the box are declassified in full or partially declassified (i.e. whether there are documents in the box that the agency wants to withhold or there are records of other agencies in the box that require review by those agencies.) Alternatively, the agencies may prepare a brief summary report that identifies the reviewed boxes by accession number, box number, and declassification data.

8. Questions.

Questions about records holdings and access procedures should be directed to the appropriate NARA point of contact.

JOHN W. CARLIN
Archivist of the United States

 

ATTACHMENT 1 - REGIONAL ARCHIVES

New England Region, 380 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, MA 02154-6399. 617- 647-8100. Director: James Owens. Agency contact: Stanley Tozeski. Hours 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Northeast Region, 201 Varick St., New York, NY 10014-4811. 212- 337-1300. Director: Robert Morris. Agency contact: John Celardo. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Mid Atlantic Region, 900 Market St., Rm 1350, Philadelphia, PA 19107-4294. 215-597-3000. Director: Robert Plowman. Agency contact: Kellee Blake. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Southeast Region, 1557 St. Joseph Ave., East Point, GA 30344- 2593. 404-763-7477. Director: Mr. Gayle Peters. Agency contact: Charles Reeves or David Hilkert. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Southwest Region, 501 W Felix St., Bldg. 1, Fort Worth, TX. Mailing address: PO Box 6216, Fort Worth, TX 76115-0216. 817- 334-5525. Director: Kent Carter. Agency contact: Meg Hacker. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Pacific Southwest Region, 24000 Avila Rd., 1st Floor East, Laguna Niguel, CA. Mailing address: PO Box 6719, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607-6719. 714-643-4241. Director: Diane Nixon. Agency contact: Suzanne Dewberry. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Pacific Sierra Region, 1000 Commodore Dr., San Bruno, CA 94066- 2350. 415-876-9009. Director: Ms. Waverly Lowell. Agency contact: Dan Nealand or Kathy O'Connor. Hours: 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Pacific Northwest Region, 6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-7999. 206-526-6507. Director: Phillip Lothyan. Agency contact: Sue Karren or Laura McCarthy. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Most Regional Archives offer extended research room hours on selected evenings and Saturdays. For more specific information concerning extended hours contact the individual regions.

 

ATTACHMENT 2 - PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES

Office of Presidential Libraries (NL), National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408. 202-501-5700. Contact: Nancy Smith. Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Herbert Hoover Library, 210 Parkside Dr. West Branch, IA. Mailing Address: PO Box 488, West Branch, IA 52358-0488. 319-643- 5301. Director: Timothy Walch. Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, 511 Albany Post Rd. Hyde Park, NY 12538-1999. 914-229-8114. Director: Verne Newton. Hours: 8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Harry S. Truman Library, 500 W US Hwy 24, Independence, MO 64050- 1798. 816-833-1400. Director: Larry Hackman. Hours: 8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, 200 SE 4th St., Abilene, KS 67410- 2900. 913-263-4751. Director: Daniel Holt. Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125. 617-929-4545. Director: Bradley Gerratt. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library, 2313 Red River St., Austin, TX 78705-5702. 512-482-5137. Director: Harry Middleton. Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Nixon Presidential Materials Staff, National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Rd., College Park, MD 20740-6001. 301-713- 6950. Director: William Cunliffe. Hours: 8:45 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Gerald R. Ford Library, 1000 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2114. 313-741-2218. Director: James Kratsas. Hours: 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Jimmy Carter Library, 1 Copenhill Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307-1406. Director: Donald Schewe. Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Ronald Reagan Library, 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065-0666. 805-522-8444. Director: Richard Norton Smith. Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Bush Presidential Materials Project, 701 University Dr. E, Ste. 300, College Station TX 77840. 409-260-9554. Director: David Alsobrook. Hours: By appointment.

Some of the Presidential Libraries may offer extended research room hours on selected evenings and Saturdays. More specific information on extended hours is available from each Library.

 

ATTACHMENT 3 - FEDERAL RECORDS CENTERS

Washington National Records Center, 4205 Suitland Rd., Suitland, MD. Mailing address: 4205 Suitland Rd., Washington, DC 20409. Area served: District of Columbia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia (except U.S. Court records). 301-457-7010. Director: Ferris Stovel. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

National Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records), 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis MO 63132-5100 Area served: Designated records of the Miliary Departments and the U.S. Coast Guard. 314-538-4247. Director: Clifford Amsler. Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

National Personnel Records Center (Civilian Personnel Records), 111 Winnebago St., St. Louis, MO 63118-4199. Area served: The entire Federal Government personnel records of separated Federal employees; medical and pay records of all Federal employees; designated medical records of Army and Air Force military personnel and their dependents; and records of agencies in the St. Louis area (Missouri only), of Scott AFB, IL, and of the Memphis Service Center, Internal Revenue Service. 314-425-5722. Director: Paul Gray. Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Pittsfield Federal Records Center, 100 Dan Fox Dr., Pittsfield, MA 01201-8230. Area served: National collection of long term records. 413-236-3600 extension 15. Director: Gregory Schildmeyer. Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Boston Federal Records Center, 380 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, MA 02154-6399. Area served: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. 617-647-8108. Director: Diane LeBlanc. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

New York Federal Records Center, Military Ocean Terminal, Bldg. 22, Bayonne, NJ 07002-5388. Area served: New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. 201-823-5429. Director: Karen Lucas. Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Philadelphia Federal Records Center, 14700 Townsend Rd., Philadelphia, PA 19154. Area served: Delaware, Pennsylvania, and U.S. court records for Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. 215-951-5697. Director: David Weber. Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Atlanta Federal Records Center, 1557 St. Joseph Ave., East Point, GA 30344-2533. Area served: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Kentucky. 404-763-7474. Director: William Craig. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Chicago Federal Records Center, 7358 S. Pulaski Rd., Chicago, IL 60629-5898. Area served: Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and U.S court records for Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. 312-353-0162. Director: David Kuehl. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Dayton Federal Records Center, 3150 Springboro Rd., Dayton, OH 45439-1883. Area served: Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio except for U.S. Civil and Criminal Court cases from those states and U.S. Bankruptcy Court cases from Indiana and Michigan. 513-225-2852. Director: Denis Paskauskas. Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Kansas City Federal Records Center, 2312 E. Bannister Rd., Kansas City, MO 64131-3011. Area served: Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri except greater St. Louis area. 816-926-7271. Director: John Allshouse. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Fort Worth Federal Records Center, 501 Felix St., Fort Worth, TX. Mailing address: PO Box 6216, Fort Worth, TX 76115-0216. Area served: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico. 817-334-5515. Director: James Mouat. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Denver Federal Records Center, Bldg. 48, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO. Mailing address: PO Box 25307, Denver, CO 80225- 0307. Area served: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 303-407-5740. Director: Robert Svenningsen. Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

San Francisco Federal Records Center, 1000 Commodore Dr., San Bruno, CA 94066-2350. Area served: Nevada except Clark County, California except southern California, American Samoa. 415-876- 9002. Director: David Drake. Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Los Angeles Federal Records Center, 24000 Avila Rd., 1st Floor East, Laguna Niguel, CA Mailing address: PO Box 6719, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677-6719. Area served: Arizona, Clark County Nevada, and southern California (counties of San Luis Obispo, Kern, San Bernadino, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, Inyo, Imperial, and San Diego). 714-643-6248. Director: Sharon Roadway. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Seattle Federal Records Center, 6125 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-7433. Area served: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Hawaii, and Pacific Ocean area (except American Samoa). 206-526- 6501. Director: Steven Edwards. Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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