Biography of John W. Carlin

NARA, an independent Federal agency, is America's national recordkeeper.

Our mission is to ensure ready access to the essential evidence that documents the rights of American citizens, the actions of Federal officials, and the national experience.

We strive to make it easy for citizens to access these records anywhere at anytime, and we hope that by providing electronic public access to more and more of our records and services, we will better meet your records and information needs.

Among the treasures available to you here online are the cornerstone documents of our Government —

• the Declaration of Independence,
  
  
• the Constitution of the United States,
  
  
• and the Bill of Rights —

as well as many of our current and past exhibits. But the National Archives is more than famous documents. NARA is a public trust that safeguards the records upon which our democracy depends. We enable people to inspect for themselves the record of what government has done. We enable officials and agencies to review their actions, and we help citizens hold them accountable for those actions. Open, accessible records are essential for open, accessible government.

The records we hold belong to the citizens of the United States. They document our common heritage as Americans and the individual and collective experiences of our people and our great nation.

I hope you will take the time to explore the resources available here, such as the Archival Research Catalog (ARC) and the Digital Classroom, and to learn more about our new initiatives, such as the Electronic Records Archives and the National Archives Experience. You can also find out about changes we are making at NARA to improve customer service and implement our Strategic Plan.

Please let us know your comments and suggestions on how we can improve our services for you.

Thank you for visiting the National Archives and Records Administration.

JOHN W. CARLIN
Archivist of the United States