ARCHIVIST OF THE UNITED STATES - COLLECTOR IN CHIEF - David Ferriero
AOTUS: Collector in Chief has posted a new item, 'American
Archives Month'
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL ARCHIVES MONTH - WRITE TO YOUR ARCHIVIST
IN HIS BLOG, MR. FERRIERO WRITES -
October is American Archives Month, a time when we celebrate
the work that archivists all over the country do to ensure that the records of
their institutions are created, collected, and protected in a manner that
allows their clientele to find what they need. Here at the National
Archives that means ensuring that citizens can hold our government accountable,
can learn from our history, and can explore family histories, to name just a
few ways the records are used.
We risk losing our memory as a country if we cannot meet the challenges of electronic records management. The fact is, without good records management, it is impossible for us to learn from the past and plan for the future....I expect the principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration to change the way we do things, the way we think about things, and the way we deliver services to the public.
What do I love about the National Archives? The
discoveries made every day in the records of our country, such as:
Last week a veteran arrived in College
Park by motorcycle from Nevada .
He has been searching for 43 years for information about his platoon leader
killed in Viet Nam .
The staff found the information he needed “in 30 seconds!”
An archivist in St. Louis
learned of a family bible in our pension claim records for his Revolutionary
War ancestor
Letters with checks for the pennies collected by school
children, teachers, and Elks Lodges around the country in a campaign to save
the Navy’s oldest ship, the U.S.S. Constitution during the late 1920s.
The fact that my grandfather, Paolo Ferriero, was 15 years
old when he arrived in Boston from Naples in 1903. And that he was met by
his father, Antonio, who had arrived three years before.
One of the supplementary questions NOT asked during the 1940
Census: “Do you have a waffle iron and a Bible?”
What I love most about the National Archives is the staff in
44 facilities across the country who are so passionate about their work—those
who work with veterans, the general public, genealogists, scholars and
students, the Federal Agencies, the White House, and Congress. And, just
as passionate, are those who support those who are doing that frontline work.
For me, every month is Archives Month!
David S. Ferriero was confirmed as 10th Archivist of the United
States on November 6, 2009 .
Previously, Mr. Ferriero served as the Andrew W. Mellon
Director of the New York Public Libraries (NYPL). He was part of the leadership
team responsible for integrating the four research libraries and 87 branch
libraries into one seamless service for users, creating the largest public
library system in the United States
and one of the largest research libraries in the world. Mr. Ferriero was in
charge of collection strategy; conservation; digital experience; reference and
research services; and education, programming, and exhibitions.
Before joining the NYPL in 2004, Mr. Ferriero served in top
positions at two of the nation’s major academic libraries, the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in Cambridge , MA ,
and Duke University
in Durham , NC .
In those positions, he led major initiatives including the expansion of
facilities, the adoption of digital technologies, and a reengineering of
printing and publications.
Mr. Ferriero earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
English literature from Northeastern University
in Boston and a master’s degree
from the Simmons College of Library and Information Science, also in Boston .
After serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, he started in the humanities
library at MIT, where he worked for 31 years, rising to associate director for
public services and acting co-director of libraries.
In 1996, Mr. Ferriero moved to Duke
University , where he served as
University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs until 2004. At Duke,
he raised more than $50 million to expand and renovate the university’s library
and was responsible for instructional technology initiatives, including
overseeing Duke’s Center for Instructional Technology.
We have provided links to other websites because they have
information that may interest you. Links are not an endorsement by the National
Archives of the opinions, products, or services presented on these sites, or
any sites linked to it. The National Archives is not responsible for the
legality or accuracy of information on these sites, or for any costs incurred
while using these sites.
You are encouraged to share your comments,
ideas, and concerns.
PLEASE WRITE TO THE ARCHIVIST AND LET
HIM KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT
THE NARA
WITH HOLDING JFK ASSASSINATION RECORDS -
National Archives and Records Administration
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