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| National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators |
| Abbreviation | NAGARA |
| Formation | 1970 |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Region served | United States |
| Membership | Archivists, records managers, preservationists |
| Leader title | President |
National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators is a professional association serving state and local archival and records management officials across the United States. Founded to coordinate preservation, access, and administration of public records, the organization interacts with federal bodies, state agencies, libraries, and historical repositories. Its activities connect practitioners from municipal archives to university special collections, aligning with standards and policies developed by national and international institutions.
The association traces roots to conferences that included participants from the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, Smithsonian Institution, New York Public Library, and state historical societies such as the Massachusetts Historical Society and the California Historical Society. Early leaders included figures affiliated with the Society of American Archivists, American Association for Public Opinion Research, American Library Association, and state archival offices in New York (state), California, and Texas. The group's formative decades overlapped with legislative and policy developments involving the Freedom of Information Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act, and state sunshine laws in Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, prompting collaboration with the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Council of State Archivists. Partnerships and consultative relationships extended to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Historical Publications and Records Commission, American Association of State and Local History, and university centers such as University of Michigan and University of California, Berkeley. International contacts included the International Council on Archives, UNESCO, and archival programs in United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
The association's mission emphasizes stewardship, access, and accountability, aligning with principles advocated by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, the International Council on Archives, and professional codes from the Society of American Archivists. Objectives include advising state archives such as the California State Archives and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, promoting standards like those from the ISO framework and the National Information Standards Organization, and providing guidance during crises alongside organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross. The association coordinates policy responses with entities including the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and state departments of cultural affairs in New York (state), Ohio, and Washington (state).
Membership comprises professionals from state archives, county recorders, municipal clerks, and specialists from institutions including the Newberry Library, Cleveland Public Library, Library of Congress, and university archives at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and Yale University. The organization is governed by an executive board elected by members and organized into committees similar to structures used by the American Library Association and the Society of American Archivists, with liaisons to the National Archives and Records Administration, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, and the National Association of Counties. Regional representation engages state archival offices in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon.
Annual conferences attract delegates from state archives such as the Michigan Department of Archives and Records Management and the Massachusetts Archives, and draw speakers from the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and academic programs at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Massachusetts Amherst. Programs often feature panels on records schedules used by the National Association of County Recorders and case studies involving the National Park Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and museum partners like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The association collaborates on workshops with the Society of American Archivists, Council of State Archivists, Association of Records Managers and Administrators, and the National Coalition for History.
The association issues guidance documents, model records schedules, and newsletters distributed to state archives, historical societies such as the New-York Historical Society and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and municipal archives including Los Angeles Public Library special collections. Its resources reference standards from the National Information Standards Organization, case law from the Supreme Court of the United States, and digitization guidance comparable to publications from the Digital Public Library of America, the HathiTrust Digital Library, and university presses at Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. The association archives proceedings with contributors from institutions like the American Antiquarian Society and projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Advocacy efforts align the association with coalitions including the National Coalition for History, the National Legislative Program of the American Library Association, and state government associations such as the National Governors Association and the Council of State Governments. Training programs and continuing education draw on curricula from SAA2K initiatives, graduate programs at Simmons University, Rutgers University, and Emporia State University, and certificate programs offered in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and university archives programs. During policy debates, the association has submitted comments to federal agencies such as the National Archives and Records Administration and the Office of Management and Budget, and collaborated with watchdog groups including the Sunlight Foundation and the Project On Government Oversight.
The association recognizes outstanding service with awards honoring contributions to state archival practice, modeled on honors given by the Society of American Archivists, the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, and the American Association for State and Local History. Recipients have included leaders from state archives in New York (state), California, Texas, and Virginia, and professionals from university archives at Columbia University, Princeton University, and Brown University. Awards ceremonies have been held in venues such as the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, with keynote addresses from figures associated with the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Archives and Records Administration.
Category:Professional associations based in the United States Category:Archives in the United States