What kind of services and facilities does national archives of indiai provide to common man?

Answer 1

Every year, the federal government produces vast quantities of records on paper and tape, in photographs and microfilm, and increasingly in electronic format. These records document every government action and are vital evidence in documenting the history of the nation, for reviewing past policies, for conducting investigations, for scholarly research, and for genealogical studies. For many years, no central repository for these records existed. Government agencies stored their records in basements, attics, and warehouses. As a result, many records were lost, destroyed, or allowed to deteriorate.

In 1934 Congress established the National Archives to identify, preserve, and provide access to significant government documents and records. In 1949 the archives was incorporated into the General Services Administration and renamed the National Archives and Records Service. As such, it worked with records administrators in every agency, advising them on what records they could dispose of and what they needed to maintain for permanent preservation. In 1984 Congress reestablished it as an independent agency, designated the National Archives and Records Administration (nara-bancorp-inc). The archivistof the United States, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a 10-year term, oversees the agency.

In the National Archives building on the Mall in Washington are housed and displayed the nation's most famous documents: the Declaration of Independence, the original Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. Back in the stacks of that building, and in the sprawling Archives II, in nearby College Park, Maryland, are billions of other documents, along with millions of maps, photographs, motion pictures, and video and sound recordings. In addition, NARA includes the Office of Presidential Libraries, which preserve the records of recent Presidents in their home states.

The introduction of computers in the years following World War II created a whole new form of federal record keeping. At first used by the military and by the census, computers spread to every agency, and electronic mail (e-mail) steadily replaced postal mail. Although computer tapes were more compact than the equivalent paper copy, computer systems quickly became obsolete and conversion from one generation of computer technology to the next was often difficult and expensive, creating new dilemmas for archivists seeking to preserve as complete documentation as possible.

Read more: national-archives