Reparative Description and Digitization at the National Archives
Updates
July 20, 2022: NARA publishes the Reparative Description Appendix to the Lifecycle Data Requirements Guide with new guidelines for reviewing and updating harmful terms in archival descriptions.
April 15, 2022: The Archivist blogs about the recent OCLC report and discusses the work of the Reparative Description and Digitization Working Group in the context of the archival profession.
April 14, 2022: NARA publishes the National Archives and Records Administration Agency Equity Action PlanThis action plan summarizes the near and long-term actions NARA will take to advance equity and expand opportunities for Americans in underserved communities. The plan includes sections on reparative description and digitization. See our Equity Action Plan page for more information.
January 18, 2022: The Archivist blogs about Guiding Principles for Reparative Description.
January 10, 2022: The National Archives publishes Guiding Principles for Reparative Description
July 23, 2021: The National Archives publishes the Potentially Harmful Content web page. The Catalog provides a Harmful Content banner on each page that links out to this statement.
July 16, 2021: The Archivist charters the Reparative Description and Digitization Working Group to develop guidance, standards, and processes relating to archival description and equity and to recommend digitization and transcription efforts to records relevant to underserved and underrepresented communities.
June 17, 2021: The Archivist blogs about Addressing Racial Inequality at the National Archives.
June 14, 2021: The National Archives publishes a Harmful Language Alert to advise users that historical records and their descriptions may contain harmful wording.
June 14, 2021: The National Archives releases the Archivist’s Task Force on Racism Report. The report focuses on three areas at the National Archives: staff, museums, and archival description.
January 20, 2021: The Administration publishes Executive Order 13985
Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
June 29, 2020: The Archivist establishes an internal Task Force on Racism, which is charged with developing recommendations for the Agency.