Talking in the Library

Today's the National Archives Experience was closed for a "special event," a speech by President Obama about national security, closing the Guantanamo detention facility, and the release of documents from the previous administration about "enhanced interrogation techniques." The location was not without significance, given the often testy relationship between archivists of government documents and the previous presidential administration and the actual thank you note that archivists sent Obama shortly after taking office, because he revoked Executive Orders that interfered with the maintenance of the public record. In televised coverage, Obama's speech was followed by former vice president Dick Cheney's oratory of rebuttal, and those watching on the CNN/Facebook page could add live chatter to the implied debate about security.


Longtime National Archives watchers might be interested in the site's public statement about a missing hard drive from the Clinton administration and the pitch from the Foundation for the National Archives, "private sector partner in this ongoing civics education initiative."