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National Archives & Records Administration, Chicago

7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60629-5898
www.archives.gov

Projects
1

Each year more than one million people visit the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Most come to view the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other historic documents on display in the Rotunda and Public Vaults. Others come to conduct historical research into the records housed in the building. The building, the federal agency that calls it home, and the records it holds inspire numerous teaching activities and service learning opportunities, such as how to establish and maintain a school archives.

Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever. Those valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family's history, need to prove a veteran's military service, or are researching an historical topic that interests you.

Learn about the 2007 NARA SI-Alternative Spring Break participants at http://www.archives.gov/careers/internships/experiences/michigan07.html

Photos and Comments

Students who participated in ASB at the National Archives & Records Administration, Chicago: Lisa Wright.

"I liked that I was involved in a variety of activities during the course of the week. This allowed me to see many of the functions of NARA, and I felt like I got to know a lot of the staff. "

"Getting to see how different aspects of archival work came together at NARA, and being able to participate in so many aspects, gave me a better idea of what actually working in archives will be like. The organization was fantastic, everyone was helpful and informative. I felt like I was part of the staff. My supervisor made sure I always had something to work on, and that I got to experience any aspects of archival work that I was interested in, or wanted more experience in."

More comments from participants...
Projects

NARA Great Lakes Regional Archives, Chicago

Lisa Wright. Code: NARACHI-01

Interns
1

The 2008 alternative spring break student project at the National Archives-Great Lakes Region in Chicago would focus on assisting the region in fulfilling it mission of promoting civic literacy in American through outreach and education programs. The Chicago facility at the Great Lakes Region has more than 80,000 cubic feet of historical records dating from 1800 to the 1990's, including textual records as well as non-textual records such as maps and photographs from Federal courts and some 85 Federal agencies in six states - Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The Regional Archives will work with the student to find an appropriate project that both meets the students interests and the needs of the program. Some possible Alternative Spring Break projects may include: 1) Researching historical events in the six states covered by the NARA-Great Lakes Region and identifying how the collections held by the regional archives could be used in outreach events such as anniversaries or regularly scheduled regional history or educational events. 2) Helping the regional archives to identify and develop potential partnerships with regional, state, and local organizations in the six state region

Note: NARA-Great Lakes is located outside of the downtown area of Chicago (near Midway Airport at 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60629-5898). There are public transportation options to travel to NARA-Great Lakes but you will have to take both the Elevated train and a bus and also walk a few blocks. You can view the trip details by going to http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/tripplanner.html and entering the departure point (24 E. Congress Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60605-1226 USA) and the destination (7358 Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60629-5898). A 7-day pass from CTA allows unlimited rides for $20.

Participants' Comments

"I participated in several projects: I did holdings maintenance on some collections, helped set up for a public program, added to the mailing list for NARA's newsletter, helped with some conservation projects, and did research for future public programs. I liked that I was involved in a variety of activities during the course of the week. This allowed me to see many of the functions of NARA, and I felt like I got to know a lot of the staff. The hard part was that I was pulled in several directions at once, so that I only completed some of the projects I started."

"Getting to see how different aspects of archival work came together at NARA, and being able to participate in so many aspects, gave me a better idea of what actually working in archives will be like. The organization was fantastic, everyone was helpful and informative. I felt like I was part of the staff. My supervisor made sure I always had something to work on, and that I got to experience any aspects of archival work that I was interested in, or wanted more experience in."

The SI Alternative Spring Break is open to graduate students of the University of Michigan's School of Information. Undergraduates looking for Alternative Spring Break opportunities should look into the University of Michigan Alternative Spring Break program administered by U-M's Ginsberg Center.