Calendar of Events

Know Your Records Program

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The Know Your Records program provides educational resources on how to access and conduct research using U.S. Federal Government records held at the National Archives and Records Administration.

2023 Schedule

After the event's premiere date, the video and presentation materials remain available and added to our YouTube Playlists.

2023 Genealogy Series Poster

May 3–June 14, 2023

2023 Genealogy Series - Public Service: Military & Civilian

In recognition of public service, we offered a special Genealogy Series focused on both military and civilian records. The series provided family history research tools for all skill levels along with a general overview to specific topics. Broadcasts of the program sessions took place in May and June.  All skill level are welcome!

NAID 515773

Thursday, August 10, at 1 p.m. ET

Sound Recordings of the World War II Era by Ashley S. Behringer

  • Ashley S. Behringer is an Archivist in the Moving Image and Sound Branch from the National Archives at College Park, MD
  • Audience skill level: intermediate (all are welcome!)
  • Presentation slides and handout 
  • Video (available August 10)

You have probably seen famous newsreel footage of World War II held at the National Archives. But have you heard the audio recordings? For many contemporary people, news of the war was primarily a listening experience. Breaking news, radio dramas, speeches, and music reached the ears of the civilian and soldier alike. This presentation explores World War II audio holdings of the National Archives Moving Image and Sound Branch.

Photograph of German Prisoners at Camp Polk, Louisiana

Wednesday, September 13, at 1 p.m. ET

The Records of the Provost Marshal General and Enemy Prisoners of War Held in the United States during World War II by Rachael Salyer 

  • Rachael Salyer is a Subject Matter Expert in Modern Military Records and an Archivist from the National Archives at College Park, MD
  • Audience Skill Level: Intermediate to Experienced (all are welcome!)
  • Presentation slidesand handout 
  • Video (available September 13)

During World War II, the United States established hundreds of prisoner of war (POW or PW) camps, which held an estimated 425,000 German, Italian, and Japanese prisoners. Archivist Rachael Salyer will discuss the records of these camps created by the Office of the Provost Marshal General (OPMG). She will provide an overview of their establishment and construction, and then will focus on how and where to locate records related to specific camps. Finally, she will also provide suggestions for how to begin researching individual prisoners, as well as camp staff and assigned units.

YouTube Playlists

View videos from previous events on people, places, events and other popular research topics of interest from these playlists.

African American Records

World War II Photo

 Arts & Culture

Declaration of Independence

America's Founding Documents

newspaper

Events, Centennials & Holidays

US Capitol Dome

Federal Government

globe

Genealogy

  globe

Foreign Policy, Military Records & Investigations

group of people

People

 

astronaut

Places

Preserving Family Records

 astronaut

Science & Technology and Transportation

Native American Records

U.S Veterans

Civilian Service

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Please take a few minutes to complete this short evaluation. Your comments help us maintain the quality of our services and plan future programs.

⇒ Event Evaluation Form

We also invite you to share examples of how our records are used by you to produce books, articles, documentaries, and other publications by emailing KYR@nara.gov.

Presentation Ideas

Are you looking for a way to present research work done at the National Archives?

You can submit your ideas for a presentation at KYR@nara.gov.

Participation Instructions

You are invited to attend, participate, and ask questions during our sessions' YouTube video premieres. Presentations are pre-recorded videos broadcast on NARA's YouTube channel. Throughout the broadcast, you will be able to ask questions, and the presenter will respond in real time. After the initial showing, the video and handouts will remain available on this web page and YouTube.

  • Attend via YouTube
  • Participate in chat, by first logging into YouTube and then typing your comments into the chat section
  • Follow us on Twitter at @USNatArchives

Captioning & Transcript

  • Captioning is available by selecting the CC icon at the bottom of the YouTube video. 
  • Transcripts are available by sending a request to KYR@nara.gov.
  • If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for the event, please email the Know Your Records program coordinator at KYR@nara.gov.

 

 

History Hub

Find answers to your research questions at History Hub

 

All events listed in the calendar are free unless noted.

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