Earlier this month I released the National Archives’ new Strategic Framework. The framework guides our next steps in developing a multi-year strategic plan and charts a roadmap focused on building our digital future and delivering world-class experiences, both in person and online.
We are the nation’s record keepers. We preserve, protect, and share the historical records of the United States to promote public inquiry and strengthen democratic participation. The goals outlined in the framework steer our efforts to engage all Americans in meaningful ways while navigating the complexities of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
I am leading our agency through substantial changes. These changes are necessary to ensure the National Archives is prepared to lead the work ahead as stewards of the nation’s records. To be successful, we must prioritize digitization, transform access to our records, and deliver engaging experiences for diverse audiences.
The path we are on introduces a refreshed approach to how we think about and perform our work. While change can take some time to fully materialize, we must continuously assess how we advance our mission as steadfast activists for the records in our care. This means our commitment to serve and inspire everyone to use our holdings for civic engagement and life-long learning is firm without partisanship or ideology. This also means that we encourage the public to explore our records by showcasing a more complete story of America’s history through our exhibits, public programs, and civic education curricula.
We are in the midst of redeveloping our signature galleries that surround the Rotunda at our flagship building in the heart of Washington, DC. Our goals are ambitious: scheduled to reopen in 2025, our galleries will use cutting-edge interactive technology to showcase the power and importance of a wide range of National Archives records for understanding and interpreting our complex national story. The new galleries will also provide customized opportunities for visitors to see and experience a wide variety of stories that align with each visitor’s areas of interest.
The new galleries are part of an enormous plan to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial in 2026. We’re calling our celebration Declaration250, and it will include not only exhibits and programming but also opportunities for every American to interact with the National Archives. We’ve already launched Road to Revolution, our rotating exhibition that uses original records to understand the beginnings of our nation, and Inside the Vault, a monthly online program at the intersection of popular culture and American history. We’ve announced that we will be adding the Emancipation Proclamation and the 19th Amendment to the same revered space as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights, so that we may greet our visitors to what President Hoover called “a temple of our history” with a more expansive presentation of our rights and freedoms.
This American Archives Month, I pledge my commitment to deliver a fresh strategic plan, rooted in this framework, that holds the National Archives to the highest standards in governance and access, exemplifies archival standards, and delivers experiences that resonate with every American.
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