On Monday, 28 November 2011, President Obama signed off on the most significant step since the Truman Administration (wow!) to improve the management of Federal records. In his memorandum, President Obama stated, "When records are well managed, agencies can use them to assess the impact of programs, to reduce redundant efforts, to save money, and to share knowledge within and across their organizations. In these ways, proper records management is the backbone of open government."

Stay tuned over the coming months as the required actions in response to this memo bring further clarity, and perhaps complexity, to the vast issues of records management and open government. 

If you have ideas you would like to contribute to the discussion, you can do so by:

On January 11, 1908, Theodore Roosevelt dedicated the Grand Canyon as a National Monument. It wouldn't achieve National Park status until 1919.

I encourage you all to think about how much the National Park Service offers American citizens. I am, personally, extremely thankful for their work and service. 

While a good number of National Parks are free to enter, this weekend (January 14-16, 2012) everyone can take advantage of Free Entrance Days in the National Parks. Get out, see some sights, and revel in the beauty of our national landscape and history!!!

for an extended hiatus. Hooray! I'll see you back here in 2012!!

I trust you will all have a wonderful holiday season filled with family, friends, and cheer! May 2012 bring you continued joy, prosperity, and good health.

All the best,

According to this morning's Washington Post, "About 120 survivors will join Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, military leaders and civilians to observe a moment of silence in Pearl Harbor at 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time — the moment the attack began seven decades ago."

I'm sharing a few educational links with you, because I believe that remembering our nation's history -- all of the good, as well as the bad and the ugly -- helps us develop and progress in a more positive way as a nation. I hope you have the chance to check some of these out!

• Pearl Harbor on the Nation's Front Pages
• From Naval History & Heritage Command: Overview of the Pearl Harbor Attack
• FDR's Pearl Harbor Address (delivered 8 December 1941)
• Resources from NARA's Center for Legislative Archives

Ahhh, the scrapbook...

As a lover of family history and fond memories, I enjoy a nicely complied scrapbook -- flipping through the pages, studying the snapshots of time, remembering moments that can never be replicated. Beautiful images, happy thoughts, pretty papers. What's not to love?!

Ahhh, the dreaded scrapbook...