The Catalog Newsletter
Learn about newly added records and receive tips on using the Catalog's features, functionality, and guides. The National Archives Catalog is the online public portal to our records where you can learn more about our holdings. This email newsletter is delivered on a biweekly basis.
Past Editions
2024
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
| Giving thanks for Citizen Archivists | 11/14/2024 | This November, we express our gratitude for the thousands of Citizen Archivists who make our records more accessible. | View the Newsletter |
| From the Shelf to the Catalog | 10/31/2024 | From the shelf to the Catalog we share the process of digitization at the National Archives. | View the Newsletter |
| The National Archives Building in Washington, DC | 10/17/2024 | For Archives Month, we take a look at the headquarters, now a National Historic Landmark! | View the Newsletter |
| Clifford Berryman’s Political Cartoons | 10/3/2024 | We find some humor in history this week. | View the Newsletter |
| Good Neighbors | 9/19/2024 | In the Western Hemisphere our next door neighbors are Canada and Mexico; we look at the relationship the United States has had with our neighbors over the decades. | View the Newsletter |
| Celebrating Constitution Day | 9/5/2024 | Happy 237th birthday to the U.S. Constitution. | View the Newsletter |
| Remembering the March on Washington | 8/22/2024 | A personal story of a young marcher finding herself in the National Archives decades later. | View the Newsletter |
| Going for the Gold | 8/8/2024 | The National Archives Catalog Newsletter is swifter, higher, and stronger this week. | View the Newsletter |
| Keys to the Past - Typewriters in the Records of the Federal Government | 7/25/2024 | From essential tool to collector’s item, we explore records about typewriters found in the National Archives Catalog. | View the Newsletter |
| Summer Vacation! | 7/11/2024 | As the weather turns warm, our minds turn to vacations. | View the Newsletter |
| Play Ball! America’s Pastime in the National Archives | 6/27/2024 | From patents to Presidents we look at records about baseball in the holdings of the National Archives. | View the Newsletter |
|
Revolutionary War Pensions at One Year |
6/13/2024 | What we’ve learned in one year of transcribing Revolutionary War pension files. | View the Newsletter |
| Honoring the Military | 5/30/2024 | Explore records from Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day. | View the Newsletter |
| Mining the Catalog - Exploring records from the Exhibit Power & Light | 5/16/2024 | Take a look at records in the Catalog from the new exhibit at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. | View the Newsletter |
|
Citizen Archivist “Outside the Box” |
5/2/2024 | We explore a fascinating “Outside the Box” tagging and transcription mission during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. | View the Newsletter |
| Earth Day, 2024 | 4/18/2024 | For Earth Day, we take a closer look at the National Wildlife Refuge System. | View the Newsletter |
| 75 Years of Alliance | 4/4/2024 |
Seventy-five years ago twelve nations formed an alliance of military and political cooperation. |
View the Newsletter |
|
Celebrating Amazing American Women |
3/21/2024 | Every March, we take some time to appreciate the contributions women have made to our country. | View the Newsletter |
| Two Hundred Years of Native Relations | 3/7/2024 | This week we share records from two hundred years of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and share tips for searching names in the National Archives Catalog. | View the Newsletter |
| Celebrating Feats of Engineering | 2/23/2024 | We take a look at big and small feats of engineering and design to celebrate National Engineers Week. | View the Newsletter |
|
Bending Toward Justice: Civil Rights in the Federal Courts |
2/8/2024 | Explore the legacy of early Civil Rights activists through court cases found at the National Archives at Chicago. | View the Newsletter |
| The Supreme Court - now with sound! | 1/25/2024 | We take a listen to a few landmark Supreme Court cases. | View the Newsletter |
| Happy Birthday Ellis Island! | 1/11/2024 | In celebration of Ellis Island opening on January 1, 1892, we'll explore the resources on immigration found at the National Archives. | View the Newsletter |
2023
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
| Citizen Archivist Year in Review | 12/28/2023 | A look back on this year’s most popular Citizen Archivist missions | View the Newsletter |
|
In Their Own Words: World War II Oral Histories |
12/14/2023 |
Citizen Archivists have transcribed more than 6,800 pages of World War II oral histories that give first hand accounts of battles. |
View the Newsletter |
| Today's Document | 11/30/2023 | Want more National Archives in your life? Check out Today’s Document. | View the Newsletter |
| Exploring the Records of the Dawes Commission | 11/16/2023 | A wealth of information can be found in the records of the Dawes Commission, we’ll help you get started with your research. | View the Newsletter |
|
Honoring America's First Veterans |
11/2/2023 |
Are you ready to join us in honoring America’s first veterans by transcribing their pension files? |
View the Newsletter |
| The Many Records of President Carter | 10/12/2023 | We say happy 99th birthday to President Carter in this week’s newsletter. | View the Newsletter |
| “P” is for Phenomena | 9/21/2023 |
Are we alone? Explore declassified records related to Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). |
View the Newsletter |
| USS Nautilus: On Top of the World, Under the Ice | 8/24/2023 |
The various quests to reach the North Pole were equal parts danger and glory, with scientists and thrill-seekers alike pushing the limits of human endurance and technology. |
View the Newsletter |
| Alllllll Aboard! | 7/20/2023 | Come along for a fast track overview of Cartographic Branch’s railroad records. | View the Newsletter |
|
You’ve Been Drafted! Revolutionary War Transcription Project |
6/22/2023 | The stories of over 80,000 men and women who lived through the American Revolution are waiting to be told. Will you help us tell them? | View the Newsletter |
|
Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage |
5/25/2023 | The National Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the achievements and contributions of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders. | View the Newsletter |
| New in National Archives Catalog | 5/11/2023 | Today we’re sharing recently added records in the National Archives Catalog! Take a ride with us as we explore some of the latest records available for online research. | View the Newsletter |
| JFK Assassination Records Transcription Opportunity | 4/27/2023 | Help us transcribe records from the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection. | View the Newsletter |
| 1950 Census Revisited | 4/13/2023 | The 1950 Census was released one year ago this month! We hope you’ve had a chance to search the 1950 Census and learn more about your family history and life in the United States in 1950. | View the Newsletter |
| Explore History Hub's New Home! | 3/30/2023 | Are you stuck in your historical research? Have you hit a wall in your genealogy quest? Find your answer on History Hub! | View the Newsletter |
| Happy Sunshine Week 2023! | 3/16/2023 | This week we are celebrating access to public information, including how the National Archives makes access happen and fulfills open government requirements | View the Newsletter |
| Queens of the Air: American Women Aviation Pioneers | 3/2/2023 | In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the Queens of the Air! Within the holdings of the National Archives, you will find many resources documenting the history and early days of aviation. | View the Newsletter |
| All American: The Power of Sports | 2/16/2023 | Let’s play ball! Bring the whole family for a historic day out and get ringside seats to our current exhibit: “All American: The Power of Sports.” | View the Newsletter |
| Celebrating Black History Month | 2/2/2023 | Join us in a celebration of Black History Month! As one of the primary sources for African American historical documents, the National Archives provides access to tools and other resources that can be used while conducting research. | View the Newsletter |
| Citizen Archivist Mission Refresh | 1/19/2023 | Let’s start 2023 with some new Citizen Archivist missions! We’ve refreshed our dashboard with new missions and more individual featured records, all waiting for you to jump in and transcribe. | View the Newsletter |
| New Records for the New Year | 1/5/2023 | Welcome to 2023! Take a ride with us through the new Catalog as we explore some recently added records. Our Catalog contains more than 200 million digitized pages of records, with new records and descriptions added each week! What records are you most looking forward to accessing online this year? | View the Newsletter |
2022
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
|
Wrapping up 2022 |
12/22/2022 | It’s hard to believe we are wrapping up another year of online access! | View the Newsletter |
|
The New National Archives Catalog is here! |
12/8/2022 | The new Catalog officially launched on November 21, 2022. We are excited to introduce this fully redesigned and modernized online public access Catalog. Our new Catalog maximizes our ability to make the records of the National Archives even more accessible. Discover what's new! | View the Newsletter |
|
In case you missed it... |
11/15/2022 | The new Catalog will officially launch on November 21, 2022, replacing the legacy Catalog at catalog.archives.gov. | View the Newsletter |
|
Honoring Our Veterans |
11/10/2022 | November 11 marks the annual observance of Veterans Day, a day on which we honor the courageous women and men who have served in the United States military. | View the Newsletter |
|
Get ready for the NEW National Archives Catalog! (Special Edition) |
11/3/2022 | We are putting the finishing touches on the new Catalog, and introducing new features and functionality on a regular basis. The new Catalog will officially launch on November 21, 2022, replacing the legacy Catalog at catalog.archives.gov. Visit our informational page for the latest updates. | View the Newsletter |
|
60th Anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis |
10/27/2022 | For 13 agonizing days—from October 16 through October 28—the United States and the Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war. The peaceful resolution of the crisis with the Soviets is considered to be one of Kennedy’s greatest achievements. | View the newsletter |
|
Universal Newsreel: Release Descriptions Now Live |
10/13/2022 | The Universal Newsreel Collection is the largest donated newsreel collection in the Moving Image and Sound Branch at the National Archives. The popular collection includes nearly 4,000 edited releases which were originally shown in movie theaters, as well as 8,500 reels of unedited outtakes. | View the newsletter |
| Introducing the Next Generation National Archives Catalog | 9/30/2022 | The National Archives Catalog is getting an upgrade! We are excited to announce a sneak preview of our fully redesigned and modernized online public access Catalog. | View the newsletter |
|
West Point Military Academy Photographs: Enhancing searchability through tags |
9/15/2022 | Citizen Archivists, we have a new mission for you! More than 2,500 photographs taken at the West Point Military Academy in the early 20th century are now available in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
|
New in the Catalog! U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships Logbooks |
9/1/2022 | More than 500 logbooks of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships (USC & GSS) are now available to view and download in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
|
Seas the Day! Cartographic Ship Plans |
8/18/2022 | The Cartographic Branch at the National Archives is home to over one million ship plans, with records spanning more than 15 distinct Record Groups and over 25 separate series. | View the newsletter |
| What's New in the National Archives Catalog? | 8/5/2022 | Curious about the most recently added records to the Catalog? Check out our What's New in the National Archives Catalog web page! | View the newsletter |
|
Exploring the new Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum |
7/21/2022 | The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri, recently completed an extensive renovation to tell the story of President Harry S. Truman in a new and exciting way. | View the newsletter |
|
National Park Service Virtual Tour |
7/7/2022 | Celebrate the records of the National Park Service and take a virtual tour of the parks in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Tools and Training for Teachers | 6/23/2022 | Attention, educators! Join the National Archives and Presidential Libraries this summer for free, online and onsite professional development opportunities. | View the newsletter |
| Mapping World War II | 6/10/2022 | Join us as we navigate a recently digitized series of World War II maps. | View the newsletter |
|
Photographing the Civil War: Mathew Brady at 200 |
5/26/2022 | Mathew Brady was one of the most prolific photographers of the nineteenth century, creating visual documentation of the Civil War period. This year marks the beginning of the commemoration of Brady’s 200th birthday. | View the newsletter |
|
“Don’t Be a Dope”: Will Eisner’s World War II Posters |
5/12/2022 | Explore the U.S. Government posters for World War II by cartoonist and writer Will Eisner (1917-2005). | View the newsletter |
|
Milestone Documents |
4/28/2022 | Curious about the most viewed and sought out documents in the holdings of the National Archives? Explore the Milestone Documents website! | View the newsletter |
| Transcribing the 1950 Census | 4/14/2022 |
The initial name index is built on optical character recognition (OCR) technology, we know it is not 100% accurate. This is where we need your help! We encourage you to try out the 1950 Census website’s built-in transcription tool to help refine the name index. |
View the newsletter |
|
The 1950 Census is here! |
4/1/2022 |
After 72 years of confidentiality, the 1950 Census is here! The 1950 census is now available for everyone to view on a free, dedicated website from the National Archives: 1950census.archives.gov |
View the newsletter |
|
Declassified: Exploring formerly Top Secret records |
3/17/2022 | In celebration of Sunshine Week we're shining a light on some popular declassified records available at the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
|
Volunteer for Victory: American National Red Cross Nurses |
3/3/2022 | As the National Archives celebrates Women’s History Month, we recognize the contributions of women to our nation’s history. This week, we honor the dedicated American National Red Cross nurses who served during the First and Second World Wars. | View the newsletter |
|
Help Shape the Future of the National Archives Catalog |
2/17/2022 | We have two topics this week. First, the National Archives Catalog is going through some exciting changes! We need your help to make sure these changes are on the right track, participate in our survey. Second, the National Archives is proud to participate in National African American History Month, an observance that takes place every February. | View the newsletter |
|
On your mark, get set, go! |
2/3/2022 | As athletes and spectators across the world prepare for the 2022 Winter Olympic games in Beijing, we are weaving our way through the National Archives Catalog to bring you records related to historic Olympic Games and participants. | View the newsletter |
| Coast Guard Canines | 1/20/2022 | We salute the hard working canine mascots of the U.S. Coast Guard. | View the newsletter |
| New Records for the New Year | 1/6/2022 | With more than 160 million digitized pages of records available in the National Archives Catalog, there is always something new to discover. | View the newsletter |
2021
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
| 2021 in Review | 12/23/2021 | As we wrap up another year of online access, we’re sharing highlights from the past year. We look forward to sharing more of our holdings and history with you in 2022. | View the newsletter |
| Pearl Harbor 80th Anniversary | 12/7/2021 | On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers and torpedo planes staged a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, propelling the United States into World War II. | View the newsletter |
| What's Cooking? | 11/25/2021 | The holiday season is here. Time to put on our historic chef hats, preheat the oven, and get started on our winter weather menus! | View the newsletter |
| Veterans Day | 11/11/2021 | Join us in celebrating and thanking our veterans. | View the newsletter |
| Holding it Together: Historical Fasteners in the National Archives Catalog |
10/28/2021 | Join us as we cut through the red tape in this week’s newsletter to bring you stories of various document fasteners found in the records at the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month | 10/14/2021 | Join us in a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month as we commemorate the histories, cultures, and contributions in the United States by the Latino and Hispanic communities with roots in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. | View the newsletter |
| Donated Collections Explorer | 9/30/2021 | To help you navigate the universe of records held at the National Archives, we are excited to introduce the third in a series of online finding aid tools: the Donated Collection Explorer. | View the newsletter |
| Exploring the Confederate Slave Payrolls | 9/16/2021 | During the U.S. Civil War, the Confederate Army required enslavers to loan their enslaved people to the military. To track this extensive network of thousands of enslaved people and the pay their enslavers received for their lease, the Confederate Quartermaster Department created the record series now called the "Confederate Slave Payrolls." This series is fully digitized and available to view in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| We Remember: 20th Anniversary of 9/11 | 9/2/2021 | Marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. As the nation’s record keeper, the National Archives holds many documents and photographs related to the events of September 11. | View the newsletter |
| Archives Back to School | 8/19/2021 | Whether you are a teacher or a learner in an online or in-person environment, the National Archives has an abundance of resources for students and educators. | View the newsletter |
| This land is your land | 8/5/2021 | The Bureau of Land Management recently celebrated its 75th birthday. It was created on July 16, 1946 when President Harry Truman merged two agencies within the Department of Interior: the General Land Office and the Grazing Service. Today, the Bureau of Land Management currently manages about 245 million acres of public land in America. | View the newsletter |
| Going for the Gold | 7/22/2021 | Celebrating achievements from historic Olympic games. | View the newsletter |
| Navigating the Catalog | 7/8/2021 | We've updated our Catalog Help pages with new instructional videos to help you navigate the Catalog and make the most of your research online. | View the newsletter |
| New, Noteworthy, and Neato | 6/24/2021 | Join us this week as we celebrate some new, noteworthy, and just plain neat stories from our holdings. | View the newsletter |
| Pride in the Archives | 6/10/2021 | Records at the National Archives constitute a rich documentary history of the experience of LGBT+ individuals. | View the newsletter |
| Behind Enemy Lines: WWII Escape and Evasion Reports | 5/27/2021 | Learn more about the records documenting first hand accounts of survival from WWII escape and evasion reports. | View the newsletter |
| 100 Years: Remembering the Tulsa Race Massacre | 5/13/2021 | This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, one of the worst instances of mass racial violence in American history. | View the newsletter |
| Citizen Archivists: Get involved on History Hub | 4/29/2021 | Learn more about History Hub, our pioneering crowdsourced history and genealogy research community. | View the newsletter |
| Catalog Undercover | 4/15/2021 | Join us as we crack the code in this week’s newsletter to bring you stories of spies, camouflage, and cryptography found in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| 1950 Census Countdown | 4/1/2021 | The National Archives will release the 1950 population census schedules in April 2022, 72 years after the official 1950 census day of April 1, 1950. Learn more about the Census and how you can get started preparing for the release. | View the newsletter |
| You Are Here: Maps in the Catalog | 3/18/2021 | Jump on board with us as we navigate a selection of our favorite maps and map-related records in the Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Women's History Month | 3/4/2021 | Celebrating Women's History Month with records and resources available at the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Civil Rights | 2/18/2021 | Learn more about the major civil rights court cases, decisions, and acts that can be found in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| African American History Month | 2/4/2021 | Join us in a celebration of African American History Month. Learn more about records, resources, and programs available at the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Holocaust Remembrance Day | 1/21/2021 | Learn more about conducting research on Holocaust and other World War II-related topics. | View the newsletter |
| New Records for the New Year | 1/4/2021 | Learn about newly added records to the Catalog, and learn how to volunteer as a citizen archivist. | View the newsletter |
2020
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
| Year in Review | 12/24/2020 | Highlights in research and online access from 2020. | View the newsletter |
| Bureau of Indian Affairs Photographs Finding Aid | 12/10/2020 | Search and explore more than 18,000 digitized historical photographs from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) records with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Photographs Finding Aid. | View the newsletter |
| Giving Thanks | 11/26/2020 | Giving thanks to our community of Citizen Archivists. | View the newsletter |
| Honoring our Veterans | 11/12/2020 | Learn more about resources for veterans and their families. | View the newsletter |
| Searchable Stock Shots | 10/29/2020 | Learn more about a Citizen Archivist tagging project to help make Motion Picture stock shots more searchable in the Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Native American Treaties Explorer | 10/15/2020 | Hundreds of Native American treaties have been scanned and are freely available online, for the first time, through the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Back to School: Educator Resources | 10/1/2020 | Learn about National Archives resources for students and educators. | View the newsletter |
| Into the Wild: US FIsh & WIldlife Service | 9/17/2020 | Travel into the wild with us as we bring you photographs from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. | View the newsletter |
| Native American Photographs Tagging Mission | 9/3/2020 | Introducing a new project to help tag photographs from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to help increase access to these rich records. | View the newsletter |
| 1 Million Pages! | 8/20/2020 | Thanks to our citizen archivists, we've reached a BIG milestone of contributions to the National Archives Catalog. We also introduce the Presidential Library Explorer. | View the newsletter |
| 19th Amendment Centennial | 8/6/2020 | The 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, but this landmark event was not the beginning or the end of the story for women and the struggle for the right to vote. The National Archives holds the records that help tell this story, including petitions, legislation, court cases, and more. | View the newsletter |
| History Hub | 7/23/2020 | We invite you to explore History Hub, our pioneering crowdsourced history and genealogy research community. | View the newsletter |
| You Light Up My Life | 7/9/2020 | Lighthouse fans and photography aficionados! Allow us to navigate you to a completely digitized series of Coast Guard lighthouse photographs: 26-LG: Lighthouses, 1855 -1933. | View the newsletter |
| Virtual Vacation | 6/25/2020 | Join us on a virtual vacation of through the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| International Archives Week | 6/11/2020 | Celebrating the importance of archives around the world, as well as the ways we provide and promote public access to historical government records. | View the newsletter |
| Searching Still Photographs for Army Personalities | 5/28/2020 | Learn more about how to search within the holdings of the Still Picture Branch at the National Archives to aid in the search for specific individuals in the military. | View the newsletter |
| National Archives at the Movies | 5/14/2020 | The Motion Picture Preservation Lab at the National Archives performs conservation and preservation work on motion picture records. Among the millions of feet of film handled by staff each year, they’ve identified some of their favorites for your viewing pleasure! | View the newsletter |
| Governors Island Maps, Plans, Architectural and Engineering Drawings | 4/30/2020 | The Electronic Records Division completed a large project to add more than 11,000 born-digital records related to Governors Island in New York City to the Catalog. Learn more about the history of Governors Island, and these incredible maps, plans, and architectural drawings. | View the newsletter |
| Wallabout Market Photographs | 4/16/2020 | The National Archives at New York City completed a digitization project for a series of photographs of the Wallabout Market in Brooklyn, New York. Learn more about the market and these incredible photographs. | View the newsletter |
| Archives at Home | 4/2/2020 | We offer a multitude of ways for people at home to enrich their understanding of our nation's history through our records and even contribute to our mission. | View the newsletter |
| Searching for Something? Try the Catalog! | 3/19/2020 | Have you tried your search in the National Archives Catalog? The Catalog is our online portal to the records held at the National Archives and information about those records. | View the newsletter |
| Now Playing: Historical Films of the U.S. Army Signal Corps | 3/5/2020 | The U.S. Army Signal Corps Historical Films digitization project is now complete! More than 400 reels of film from Record Group 111 (Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer), Series H (Historical Films) have been digitized in their entirety to view in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Are YOU in the Catalog? | 2/20/2020 | Learn more about some remarkable discoveries in the Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Presidential Libraries Road Trip | 2/6/2020 | Join us on a Presidential Libraries Road Trip, a virtual journey throughout the country, bringing you records from the Presidential Libraries across the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Dorie Miller, War Hero | 1/23/2020 | We pay tribute to Doris (“Dorie”) Miller, a US Navy sailor in service on board the USS West Virginia during the attack on Pearl Harbor. | View the newsletter |
| New Records for the New Year | 1/9/2020 | With millions of digitized pages of records available in the National Archives Catalog, there is so much to explore and discover. Join us as we present some recently added items in the Catalog. | View the newsletter |
2019
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
| 2019 Year in Review | 12/26/2019 | As 2019 comes to a close and we prepare for a new decade, we are taking the opportunity to reflect on some of this year’s most memorable newsletter topics. | View the newsletter |
| Spotlight on Photographs Documenting the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) | 12/13/2019 | Learn more about the photographs held at the National Archives that document the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). | View the newsletter |
| Giving thanks (and please pass the dressing) | 11/28/2019 | Still finalizing your Thanksgiving menu? Look no further! Within the holdings of the National Archives, you can find many favorite recipes from the First Families, as well as recipes prepared by White House kitchen staff for special events through the years. | View the newsletter |
| Native American Heritage Month | 11/14/2019 | Join us in recognizing and paying tribute to the ancestry, history, and contributions of Native Americans. | View the newsletter |
| 444 Days: The Iran Hostage Crisis | 10/31/2019 | Learn more about the records related to the Iran Hostage Crisis. | View the newsletter |
| Photographs Relating to World War II Air Force Units | 10/17/2019 | View photos and learn how to research the National Archives largest collection of Air Force photographs. | View the newsletter |
| Introducing the Record Group Explorer | 10/3/2019 | We are excited to announce a new tool to help you navigate the universe records held at the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Hispanic Heritage | 9/19/2019 | Learn more about the National Archives' holdings related to the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. | View the newsletter |
| New Search Feature: Optical Character Recognition (OCR) | 9/5/2019 | We’re excited to share a new feature in the Catalog: Optical Character Recognition (OCR). | View the newsletter |
| “I Shall Return” | 8/22/2019 | Learn more about General Douglas MacArthur's report maps that highlight the battles fought in the Pacific. | View the newsletter |
| Stories from the Catalog: Dr. Mary Walker, Civil War Surgeon | 8/8/2019 | Learn more about Civil War surgeon and Medal of Honor recipient, Dr. Mary Walker. | View the newsletter |
| Refine Your Search by Record Group or Collection | 7/25/2019 | Learn about the new refinement feature that will help users narrow their Catalog search by record group or collection, | View the newsletter |
| Apollo 11 50th | 7/11/2019 | This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. Learn more about records, resources, and stories for in the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Celebrate July 4th with us! | 6/27/2019 | Learn more about the Declaration of Independence and annual celebrations at the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| 75th Anniversary of D-Day | 6/13/2019 | This year marks 75 years since the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. | View the newsletter |
| Scanned in the Innovation Hub | 5/30/2019 | Learn more about interesting finds within military pension files scanned by volunteers in the Innovation Hub. | View the newsletter |
| Commemorating Memorial Day | 5/16/2019 | In observance of Memorial Day, we are sharing a newly digitized series of records from the Cartographic Branch at the National Archives: Initial Burial Plats for World War I American Soldiers. | View the newsletter |
| Rightfully Hers | 5/2/2019 | Learn more about the new major exhibit to mark the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment and its impact on our nation’s history. | View the newsletter |
| What's New in the Catalog? | 4/18/2019 | Explore newly digitized historical records in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Catalog Newsletter 101 | 4/4/2019 | Every other week we use this newsletter to share historical records from NARA’s holdings, demonstrate Catalog functionality, and provide ways to volunteer as a Citizen Archivist to enhance the records in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Workin' on the Railroad: Help Tag Railroad Valuation Maps | 3/21/2019 | Learn more about Railroad Valuation maps, and help identify geographic locations and landowner information within each map. | View the newsletter |
| Sunshine Week Transcription Challenge | 3/7/2019 | March 10 marks the beginning of Sunshine Week 2019! While every day is a celebration of information access at the National Archives, Sunshine Week is an annual nationwide event celebrating freedom of information and open government. | View the newsletter |
| Comments Welcome! | 2/21/2019 | Did you know you can add comments to the records in the Catalog? | View the newsletter |
| Back in the Saddle | 2/7/2019 | We are back in the saddle and ready to share some new Citizen Archivist missions with you. | View the newsletter |
2018
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
| Patently Festive | 12/13/2018 | Get into the spirit of the season with these festive patents! | View the newsletter |
| Trial of the Century: La Amistad | 11/29/2018 | Learn more about the 19th Century Amistad case, and help transcribe records related to the case. | View the newsletter |
| May I take your order? World War II Era Menus from the Mountain West | 11/15/2018 | Learn more about World War II era menus from across the mountain west. | View the newsletter |
| "Remembering Vietnam" this Veterans Day | 11/8/2018 | Join us for a week-long commemoration to honor and pay tribute to Vietnam Veterans. | View the newsletter |
| Tag it! Introducing the National Archives Facebook Chatbot | 11/1/2018 | Our new Facebook chatbot makes participating in citizen archivist activities easy and fun. | View the newsletter |
| Transcriptions Reveal Life in the Trenches | 10/18/2018 | Search within WWI division records to unlock soldier's voices and discover events, battlefield conditions, and even emotions that soldiers wrote about within their accounts. | View the newsletter |
| Exploring the Final Frontier | 10/04/2018 | In celebration of NASA’s 60th anniversary, we invite you to explore our holdings to discover the fascinating story of the creation of this agency and the story of space exploration. | View the newsletter |
| What's in a Name? Help Make Naturalization Records Name Searchable | 09/20/2018 | New Petitions for Naturalization are now available in the Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Witness Depositions in Support of Seamen's Protection Certificates | 09/06/2018 | Explore this newly digitized series of records, excellent for genealogy research. | View the newsletter |
| The Radium Girls | 08/23/2018 | Digitized radioactive documents concerning radium dial painters are now made available in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Scanned in the Innovation Hub: Pension file discoveries | 08/09/2018 | Learn about pension file discoveries from citizen scanners in the Innovation Hub. | View the newsletter |
| United States of America v. Alger Hiss | 07/26/2018 | Learn more about the Alger Hiss Criminal Case file, which includes 149 documents made up of orders, affidavits, minutes, motions and more. | View the newsletter |
| Planning for America’s Best Idea: Master Plans for National Parks | 07/12/2018 | National Park Service master plans were created in the 1930s, containing a decorative cover, an index, and various plans relating to the existing and proposed developments within a park. | View the newsletter |
| Celebrating 10 Million Utility Patents | 06/28/2018 | Join us for a celebration of 10 million patents! Today we share some of our favorite patents. | View the newsletter |
| Commemorating D-Day | 06/14/2018 | Today we bring you records documenting the preparation and invasion, as we commemorate the 74th anniversary of D-Day and the Normandy Invasion. | View the newsletter |
| Citizen Archivist Road Trip | 05/31/2018 | We're on the road! Join us online as we virtually travel throughout the country, bringing you records from field offices across the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Sightings, Saucers and Stranger Things | 05/17/2018 | The National Archives is home to several collections of documents from the United States Air Force related to the investigation and analysis of “flying discs,” popularly known as “unidentified flying objects” (UFOs). | View the newsletter |
| Join us for an online transcribe-a-thon! | 05/05/2018 | Give voice to the soldiers of World War II through a new transcription project. | View the newsletter |
| Celebrating 100 years of Betty Ford | 05/03/2018 | The National Archives is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Elizabeth Ann "Betty" Ford. | View the newsletter |
| Tales From The Trenches: World War I Division Records | 04/19/2018 | We were especially moved by these descriptions of the battlefield by the descriptions of the battlefield by the soldiers who experienced the war first hand. | View the newsletter |
| Resources for Genealogists | 04/05/2018 | Are you a genealogist, or interested in researching family history? The National Archives holds many valuable records that can help you research your family history. | View the newsletter |
| Virtual Volunteer Project Roundup | 03/22/2018 | Are you looking for opportunities to volunteer online? We're highlighting special projects found within our missions or as a partnership with the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Pentagon Papers Transcription Mission | 03/12/2018 | In celebration of Sunshine Week, we’re hosting a special citizen archivist mission focusing on transcription of the Pentagon Papers. | View the newsletter |
| Spotlight on Electronic Records | 03/08/2018 | This week, we’re taking a closer look at electronic records to show you how to use them as a resource in your research. | View the newsletter |
| Military Pension Files | 2/22/2018 | Did you know that military pension files may contain valuable details about family history? | View the newsletter |
| African American History at the National Archives | 2/8/2018 | Explore records documenting the remarkable contributions of African Americans to the American Story. | View the newsletter |
| Semper Fi! U.S. Marine Corps Photographs | 1/25/2018 | View more than 6,000 recently digitized photographs of U.S. Marine Corps. | View the newsletter |
| Citizen Archivist Week of Service Update | 1/18/2018 | Thank you to all of our virtual volunteers who are joining us for Citizen Archivist Week of Service. | View the newsletter |
| Citizen Archivist Week of Service | 1/11/2018 | In the spirit of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, join us January 15-19, 2018 for a week-long citizen archivist challenge. | View the newsletter |
2017
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
| The 12 Days of Research | 12/28/2017 | This holiday season, we bring you the 12 Days of Research, as told through the many photographs and records found in the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Year in Review | 12/14/2017 | Catch up on some of our favorite and most memorable newsletters from 2017. | View the newsletter |
| Maps of the Confederacy | 11/30/2017 | The Cartographic Branch is pleased to announce the digitization of over 100 Confederate maps from Record Group (RG) 109. | View the newsletter |
| Feeling Thankful | 11/16/2017 | Find holiday inspiration from these historic recipes and photographs found in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Remembering Vietnam | 11/2/2017 | Take a look inside our new Vietnam War research portal, for use by researchers, students and educators, museum goers, veterans, and those curious about the conflict. | View the newsletter |
| Introducing: Citizen Archivist Resources! | 10/19/2017 | Today we are introducing our new Resources page on our Citizen Archivist Dashboard. Whether you are a new transcriber, or looking for ways to become more involved, our resource page is designed to provide helpful information, tips and tricks, instructional videos and more. | View the newsletter |
| The Panama Canal: Riots, Treaties, Elections, and a Little Military Madness | 10/5/2017 | This special release inspired us to develop a transcription mission based on records found in the National Archives Catalog relating to the Panama Canal. | View the newsletter |
| Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month | 9/21/2017 | Did you know that tags in the Catalog can be used to create resource guides? | View the newsletter |
| Happy Constitution Day! | 9/17/2017 | September 17 is designated as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. | View the newsletter |
| Spotlight on Records: Native American Reservation Photographs | 9/07/2017 | Explore photographs from the Bureau of Indian Affairs documenting the Native American residents of reservations as well as their living and working conditions. | View the newsletter |
| Famouse Faces in the Military | 8/24/2017 | Learn more about the Official Military Personnel Files from the Archives’ Persons of Exceptional Prominence (PEP) collection are now digitized and available to view or download in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Renovating the White House | 8/10/2017 | Learn more about the renovation of the White House during the Truman Administration. | View the newsletter |
| Making the Most of Your Catalog Search | 7/27/2017 | With so many resources to search across, how can you refine your search to help find exactly what you are looking for? | View the newsletter |
| Making connections with SNAC | 7/13/2017 | Have you ever wondered how to make connections between historical figures across archival collections? Where to find those collections, and how to discover if two individuals from history have ever crossed paths? You can now find and make these connections more easily with Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC). | View the newsletter |
| What Makes a Good Tag? | 6/29/2017 | We’ve previously discussed why we tag records in our Catalog, but have you ever thought about what makes a good tag? | View the newsletter |
| We've Got A New Look | 6/15/2017 | Have you visited our Citizen Archivist Dashboard recently? If so, you might have noticed a few fresh changes! Based on feedback from our citizen archivists, we’ve redesigned our dashboard pages to make it easier for you to navigate and start contributing. | View the newsletter |
| Two Steps Every Researcher Should Tak | 6/1/2017 | You’ve determined your research topic and gathered information, but are you ready to visit a National Archives facility to conduct your research in person? | View the newsletter |
| And the winner is... | 5/18/2017 | Last week we celebrated Public Service Recognition Week with our annual Archivist’s Achievement Awards ceremony. This year, we were proud to present a special award to one of our most dedicated and enthusiastic Citizen Archivists: Alex Smith. | View the newsletter |
| Archiving the Archives | 5/4/2017 | Did you know the records of the National Archives are in the National Archives? We preserve the permanent records of all federal government agencies, and that includes the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Digitization Discoveries | 4/20/2017 | Through a generous donation made by an anonymous donor, the National Archives was able to digitize over 110,000 photographs and nearly 300 reels of film related to the Great War. | View the newsletter |
| Commemorating the Great War | 4/6/2017 | April 6, 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I. As the largest repository of American World War I records, the National Archives holds a wealth of records and information documenting the U.S. experience in this conflict, including photographs, documents, audiovisual recordings, educational resources, articles, blog posts, lectures, and exhibits. | View the newsletter |
| Follow, Share, and Learn | 3/23/2017 | Did you know there are many ways to learn about what’s happening at the National Archives? The National Archives uses social media platforms to tell great stories, spark deep conversations, and provide opportunities for civic engagement. Through social media, we present content from across the offices of the National Archives with the goal of sharing our mission and connecting with more people than ever before. | View the newsletter |
| Celebrating Women's History Month | 3/9/2017 | In celebration of Women’s History Month, we are sharing some of our favorite women’s history records at the National Archives. Join us as we explore women’s vast contributions to our nation’s history through letters, photographs, films, and other primary sources at the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Exploring the Dawes Rolls | 2/23/2017 | Are you looking to sharpen your research skills? We’ll periodically explore some of the most requested records at the National Archives and how to search for them in the Catalog. Today we’ll take a closer look at the Applications for Enrollment in the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914, also known as the Dawes Rolls, a popular search by researchers in the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Our Favorite Presidential Records | 2/20/2017 | In honor of President’s Day, we asked our colleagues across the National Archives to share their favorite records relating to Presidents. | View the newsletter |
| Teaching from the Archives | 2/9/2017 | Primary sources such as letters, photographs, posters, and speeches can provide a direct connection to historical events and an unfiltered view of the way people interacted with each other and responded to issues during a particular time period. | View the newsletter |
| Thank you, Citizen Archivists! | 1/26/2017 | Our Citizen Archivists have been very active contributing their knowledge to the holdings of the National Archives. In 2016, 3,038 Citizen Archivist volunteers added nearly 229,000 enhancements to the records in our Catalog, which includes tags, transcriptions and comments. | View the newsletter |
| Favorite Film Finds of 2016 | 1/12/2017 | In the past year, staff in the motion picture preservation lab handled millions of feet of film. To follow up last year’s list, we’ve identified a handful of films that were digitized in 2016 and found their way to our list of favorites. | View the newsletter |
2016
| Title | Publication Date | Summary | Link |
| The Catalog is Cooking! | 12/29/2016 | Did you know the National Archives Catalog contains many food related records, including recipes from the White House chefs and First Families? | View the newsletter |
| Spotlight on Records - Navy Deck Logs | 12/15/2016 | Deck logs from U.S. Navy ships are daily chronological entries documenting the administrative activities of a ship. Deck logs can be useful to genealogists, researchers, and historians as information contained within logs may include details about ship movement, meteorological and operational accounts, sick lists, injuries, honors and even arrests during a particular month. It is no surprise that deck logs are among the most popular U.S. Navy records in the holdings of the National Archives. | View the newsletter |
| Favorite Things | 12/1/2016 | We all have our favorite records. Maybe it’s a photo that reminds you of home, a document that shows a unique perspective of a historical event, or a letter that reveals a more personal side of a President. We asked a few of our colleagues to tell us about their favorite records in the National Archives Catalog, and what makes them so special. | View the newsletter |
| Improve Your Transcription Skills | 11/17/2016 | New to transcribing? Our newly designed Transcription Tips webpage shows you how to get started with transcription, and includes some helpful examples of documents so you can see transcription in action. | View the newsletter |
| Explore, Transcribe, and Celebrate African American History | 11/3/2016 | On September 24, 2016, the Smithsonian celebrated the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. To mark the event, the National Archives is having a transcription challenge for records pertaining to African-American history in our Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Join us for the 2016 Virtual Genealogy Fair! | 10/22/2016 | Our biggest genealogy event of the year is almost here! On October 26 & 27, 2016, the National Archives will host a two-day, virtual Genealogy Fair through a live broadcast on YouTube. Through this free program, viewers have the opportunity to learn and ask questions about Federal records as resources for family history research. | View the newsletter |
| Explore Records on Gender Equality | 10/6/2016 | Join the National Archives and Wikipedia for upcoming edit-a-thons | View the newsletter |
| Calling all creatives! | 9/22/2016 | The National Archives is now on Giphy, the online library of animated gifs to share and create. We’ve opened our vault to reveal dozens of animated GIFs, created from the holdings of the National Archives, all ready to share and reuse. | View the newsletter |
| How well do you Know Your Records? | 9/8/2016 | Have you ever wanted to learn more about the records held by the National Archives? Did you know that we offer a wide variety of lectures each month, led by National Archives staff and expert researchers? | View the newsletter |
| Celebrities in the Archives! | 8/24/2016 | Did you know the National Archives Catalog features many images of celebrities and other well-known people? | View the newsletter |
| Olympic Fever! | 8/11/2016 | This summer nineteen active and retired members of the US Armed Forces are competing in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. | View the newsletter |
| Sharing historic moments through Google Arts & Culture's American Democracy Collection | 7/28/2016 | From political campaigns to conventions, from constitutional amendments to landmark documents, the holdings of the National Archives document the history of American democracy in action.To share some of these historic moments, we are pleased to participate in Google Arts & Culture’s American Democracy collection, contributing thirteen interactive online exhibits that tell the story of presidential elections in the United States. | View the newsletter |
| Hello From Your New Community Managers | 7/21/2016 | What is a Community Manager? Our job is to manage, build and grow the community of users surrounding the National Archives Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Tagging for Access | 7/14/2016 | To encourage contributions from the public, we implemented tagging in the National Archives Catalog in 2011 as a way for users to apply meaningful keywords or labels to records and make content more discoverable online. | View the newsletter |
| National Park Service Turns 100 | 6/30/2016 | Summer is here and we hope your plans include visiting one or more of the 411 national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks, historic sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails in the National Park System. | View the newsletter |
| Presidential Materials in the National Archives Catalog | 6/16/2016 | Did you know that every U. S. President since Herbert Hoover has a Presidential Library, and that these Libraries are administered by the National Archives and Records Administration? | View the newsletter |
| One month by the numbers | 6/2/2016 | Today we want to peek behind the curtain at the number of offices and people at the National Archives it takes to add descriptions and digitized records to our Catalog. | View the newsletter |
| Calling all techies! Explore the Catalog API | 5/19/2016 | We'd like to introduce you to the National Archives Catalog API. The API (or "application programming interface"), is a technology that allows computer programs or web applications created by the public to interact with our Catalog's dataset. | View the newsletter |
| Bringing history into focus | 5/5/2016 | We are working to improve the quality of digital images in the National Archives Catalog by replacing older, low-quality images with high resolution versions. | View the newsletter |
| Don't leave us hanging! | 4/21/2016 | On our Citizen Archivist Dashboard we have a transcription mission called Don’t Leave Us Hanging! The purpose of this mission is to point out records in the National Archives Catalog with incomplete transcriptions - and appeal to citizen archivists to pitch in and help complete them. | View the newsletter |
| Let's talk! Comments in the National Archives Catalog | 4/7/2016 | Commenting is a new feature we recently launched in the National Archives Catalog. Users can now comment directly on digital copies of records, descriptions of records, and authority records. | View the newsletter |
| Check out the National Archives History Hub | 3/24/2016 | History Hub is a pilot support community for historians and other history enthusiasts, researchers, genealogists, citizen archivists, open government advocates, and archival professionals. It is a place to ask questions, share information, work together, and find help based on experience and interests. | View the newsletter |
| Participate in Sunshine Week! | 3/10/2016 | Do your part by transcribing for Sunshine Week! Each day of this week-long event we’ll release missions based on a historical era. Our goal is to transcribe 2,000 pages this week. | View the newsletter |
| What's new about the National Archives Catalog? | 2/25/2016 | We’ve made significant improvements to the Catalog that will make it easier to use, more interactive, and an even more valuable research tool. | View the newsletter |
| Need more football? Join our tagging challenge | 2/11/2016 | Check out our new football tagging mission where you can help make historical records more useful by identifying football games, players, coaches, and fans (including military, civilian, and Presidential fans!). | View the newsletter |