Press
Release
February 1, 2008
National Archives Announces
Extended Research Room Hours
Washington, DC…Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein announced
today that the National Archives will restore its evening and weekend hours in
its Washington, DC and College Park, MD, research rooms. Effective the week of
April 14, 2008, the extended hours will be 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday and 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. Saturday. Hours on Monday and Tuesday
will continue to be 9 A.M to 5 P.M.
Congress and the President provided a one-time appropriation of $1.3
million in the National Archives Fiscal Year 2008 budget to restore these
hours. The funds will be used to hire new archival research room staff and to
cover the costs of utilities, maintenance, and security during the extended
hours.
“I am very grateful to the Congress and the President for their
recognition of the importance of making our documentary heritage as widely
available as possible. Extending the research room hours goes a long way in
helping us attain this goal. This increase in hours underlines our commitment
to open government,” the Archivist said in making the announcement. “I would
also like to acknowledge the enthusiastic support of our user communities,” he
added.
Research room hours at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC
and at the College Park facility were reduced in October 2006 as a cost-savings
measure. Since then, the National Archives has had extended hours only once a
month—on Thursday and Friday evenings and on Saturdays. Prior to October 2006,
the National Archives extended hours were Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The
change from Tuesday to Wednesday evening late hours was implemented to make it
more convenient and cost-effective for out-of-town researchers who travel to
the National Archives for research.
For more information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs
staff at 202-357-5300.
08-60
Page URL: http://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2008/nr08-60.html
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001 • Telephone: 1-86-NARA-NARA or
1-866-272-6272