Frequently Asked Questions Related to In-Person Research

How do I know when research rooms are open?

Check the specific facility page to determine when a facility is open for research. 

How can I request an appointment?

Can I walk into a NARA research room without an appointment and be provided access to NARA’s holdings?

No, NARA has implemented numerous protocols to help protect the safety and health of staff, researchers, and visitors. You must be scheduled for a research visit in advance. 

How will my reference consultation be conducted?

NARA staff will be available to provide reference consultation services via phone, video, or email, to assist you in planning and preparing for your visit, and in identifying records to be pulled for your visit. Advance consultation is highly encouraged to ensure the requested records are located at the facility, records are available for viewing upon your arrival, and any questions are answered. The consultations will be used to provide information about NARA’s holdings and are generally scheduled for an hour or less. Please come prepared to discuss your research needs, in as much specificity as possible.

For research rooms outside the Washington, DC, area, advance consultation and advance pull is required at all COVID-19 Community Levels. 

In the DC area, advance consultation is highly encouraged. However, you may request a research room appointment without an advance consultation, and NARA staff will be available to assist with consultation and records servicing on the day of your research visit. An advance pull may not be available without advance consultation.

What are the research room hours?

Research room hours are as follows:

• DC-area research rooms: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET 
• Research rooms outside the DC area: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. local time (except New York, which is open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET) 
• St. Louis microfilm research room: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. CT
• In person reference consultation hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. local time

What is the procedure for vaccination attestations and COVID-19 testing for researchers?

Are microfilm readers, public access computers, copy machines, etc. available for use? 

The availability of these resources varies from facility to facility. Please email the facility you wish to visit using the contact information on their facility page for details. 

Are teams or groups of researchers allowed?

No. Appointments are for one person only - no teams or groups of researchers will be allowed.

How many days per week can I expect to be able to conduct research on-site?

The availability of appointment times to conduct research on-site will vary from facility to facility, depending on researcher demand and staffing.

How will the records I’ve requested be pulled?

Advance consultation and advance pull is required for research rooms outside the Washington, DC, area at all COVID-19 Community Levels. 

In the Washington, DC, area, advance pulls may be available for researchers who have engaged in an advance consultation. Additionally, NARA staff will be available to assist you with consultation and records servicing on the day of your research visit.

What measures are in place to ensure the safety of researchers and staff?

• When the COVID-19 Community Level is High in the county or city where a NARA facility is located, appropriate face coverings (no valve/vent) must be worn at all times. When the COVID-19 Community Level is Low or Medium in the county where a NARA facility is located, face coverings are not required, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status. All facility occupants are permitted to voluntarily wear a face covering in Medium and Low Community Levels, if they choose.
• Appropriate face coverings are required for all passengers on the shuttle that runs between the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and the National Archives at College Park, at all community levels.
• Those who are sick or do not feel well must stay home.
• Occupants of NARA facilities are not required to maintain physical distancing in periods of Low COVID-19 community levels. NARA continues to require facility occupants to maintain 6-foot physical distancing, to the extent possible, while in NARA facilities in Medium and High community levels. NARA will continue to restrict occupancy in enclosed spaces and prohibit in-person meetings in High community levels.
• NARA will implement safe physical distancing through floor markings, one-way paths, and directional guidance. Chairs will be removed and workspaces will be blocked to promote physical distancing between researchers. 
• NARA will follow CDC cleaning guidance. In addition, researchers will be able to contribute to sanitizing procedures by cleaning their assigned tables and equipment before and after their research.
• Hand sanitizer will be readily available outside of the research rooms. Personal hand sanitizer will not be allowed in research rooms. 
• If a researcher or NARA employee experiences COVID-19 symptoms while in a NARA research room or later reports symptoms, a diagnosis, or a close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, NARA will use contact information collected during the researcher registration process to notify other researchers of a potential exposure.

Does NARA check temperatures of staff, contractors, or researchers?

No. However, anyone accessing a research room must assess their health by answering the questions below prior to arrival at the facility:

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, please do not come to a NARA facility. Please seek medical attention, and contact NARA to cancel your appointment.

How will NARA conduct exit inspections in a way that promotes physical distancing?

Upon completion of research for the day, NARA staff or security guards will inspect your personal property for record material. This includes laptops, scanners, and other equipment where record material could be erroneously placed. To ensure staff and researchers maintain appropriate distance, the inspection will follow these procedures: You will place equipment and materials to be inspected on your assigned table in plain view, for visual inspection. After placing the equipment on the table, you will step back to comply with physical distancing requirements.

Will NARA provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for researchers?

No. You must supply your own PPE. You are permitted to wear your own latex or vinyl gloves. Gloves will only be provided for handling photographs, negatives, and film, as currently required by NARA research room procedures.

Are any COVID-19 notification procedures in place?

If a researcher or NARA employee experiences COVID-19 symptoms while in a NARA research room or later reports symptoms, a diagnosis, or a close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19, NARA will use contact information collected during the researcher’s visit to notify other researchers of a potential exposure. NARA may share your name and email address with a governmental health authority should that information be requested for a COVID-19-related reason.

Are lockers available for researchers?

Lockers will be available if needed.

How will I know if a research room is closed or if opening is delayed due to inclement weather?

Researchers with an appointment will be contacted by e-mail by research room staff if there is a weather-related research room closure.

In the event of inclement weather, DC-area researchers can also check OPM.gov for the operating status of DC-area facilities. If the status indicates an office closure or provides staff the option of unscheduled telework, the research room will not open that day.  This includes the following types of statuses:

• Closed (example: closed)
• Open - Delayed Arrival - With Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework (examples: 2 hour delay and 3 hour delay)
• Open [no delay] With Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework (example: open, no delay)

Are the DC-area shuttle and cafeterias available?

The shuttle that runs between the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, and the National Archives at College Park is available. Appropriate face coverings are required for all passengers on the shuttle, at all community levels. The cafeterias and food services in both buildings are open with limited offerings.

What forms of payment may I use to make reproductions of records while conducting research in a NARA research room?

We accept MasterCard, VISA, American Express, and Discover credit and debit cards via our online portal which is available on public access computers at NARA facilities.