Collector in Chief

The New York Times recently profiled the nation's National Archivist, David Ferriero.

From the story...

Mr. Ferriero is not your stereotypical library scold shushing people in a reading room. He is witty, engaging, immersed in technology and views the jobs of librarian and archivist as very similar.

“When you cut to the quick,” he said, “it’s the same: collecting, protecting and encouraging the use of records and information.”

Typically less than 3 percent of the records accumulated by the government become permanent. “It is not necessary to keep everything forever,” Mr. Ferriero explained, volunteering that while he collects first editions of literature, he has donated 5,000 volumes from his collection to Duke.

Digital record keeping has created new challenges: each agency has its own standards; since it consumes less space, the temptation is to avoid discretionary decisions and save more than is needed; electronic records are more subject to tampering; and emerging technology requires curatorial nimbleness. (The White House is hiring a social media archivist.)

How many digitized records should be available online? “If I had my way,” he replied, “everything.”

The Obama administration has also given the National Archives responsibility for reviewing the declassification of 400 million pages of secret documents by the end of 2013.

Mr. Ferriero’s goal, he said, is “to ensure that we have the user at the center of our thinking — historians, genealogists, open government folks. What can we do to make their lives easier?”