Office of Regional Records Services (NR)
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NARA's Nationwide Network of Facilities
The Office of Regional Records Services manages 25 million boxes of Federal records in 17 records centers nationwide.
Federal Records Centers
The Federal Records Centers operates under the authority of Pub. L. 106-58 on a reimbursable fee-for-service basis.
Services are provided to Federal agencies:
- at the regional records centers
- at the Washington National Records Center in Suitland, MD
- at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO
- The NPRC is the repository of millions of military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged veterans of all services during the 20th century and of former civilian employees of the Federal Government
Among the services provided to Federal customers are:
- safe and secure environment for the storage of agency records
- reference services on stored records
- new transfers of agency records
- safe and secure disposal of records with the owner agency
- next day delivery service
- assistance to agencies on various special projects
- electronic access to agency holdings
We do more than just store and service agency records. We help in managing these records by working with agency records officers and legal counsels, as appropriate, to implement, modify, and remove records disposal freezes in response to court orders.
The National Archives and Records Administration's Federal Records Centers is the records center provider of choice for the Federal Government.
Regional Archives
Regional archives provide the public with free access to the significant historical records of Federal agencies for purposes of education, genealogy, history, and research, as well as to facilitate publications in all media.
Records in regional archives document the rights of citizens, the actions of Federal officials, and the national experience from our founding as a nation.
Regional archives staff members:
- arrange records
- describe records in the Archival Research Catalog (ARC)
- re-house, manage, screen, and store the more than 600,000 cubic feet of permanent
accessioned NARA records in 12 regional archives
- assist in records appraisals and accessioning records
- obtain agency concurrence with appraisal decisions
Staff members annually serve over 130,000 researchers in our 13 microfilm research rooms and over 10,000 researchers in our textual research rooms nationwide. Staff members provide reference services including research support and copies. They also host special events and conferences and prepare exhibitions and publications.
Records Management Program
The Records Management Program ensures adequacy of documentation and appropriate records disposition for Federal offices.
Our services are offered outside the Washington, DC, area, through appraisal and scheduling of paper and electronic records, interpretation of records control schedules, guidance on program implementation, and records management training.
Much of this is provided through the Targeted Assistance initiative, in which NARA staff partner with agencies to resolve existing records management problems or plan for future solutions. The Records Management Program has offices in nine regional centers and three satellite cities.
NARA's organization is based upon the priorities established in the Strategic Plan of the National Archives and Records Administration.
