News Notes for Ford Library Researchers - 2002

December 6, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in three folders in the collection National Security Adviser. Kissinger-Scowcroft West Wing Office File. The folders and estimated page counts are: Kurds (1)-(3) (150 pp.). Very little was opened during the review, but the withdrawal sheets allow for the filing of Mandatory Review requests.

 
December 3, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of one country in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Middle East and South Asia . The folders and estimated page counts are: Iraq (24 pp.).

 
November 8, 2002
The Library announced the list of recipients of Gerald R. Ford Foundation Research Travel Grants from the fall meeting of the grants screening committee.

 
November 1, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification of all remaining folders of the collection National Security Adviser. NSC Latin American Affairs Staff: Files. All of the folders from this collection are now open, although some documents are still closed. See the collection finding aid.
 
October 31, 2002
The Audiovisual Department has completed data entry for description databases on the Videotape Log and the Weekly News Summary Log. Previously they had created databases covering the Naval Photographic Center Motion Picture Collection and the White House Communications Agency's White House Speech Log. Each database provide quick and detailed access to our White House film, video, and audio collections. They shorten retrieval time and reference turn-around time considerably. Copies of portions of the databases can be sent by e-mail or regular mail to our researchers. The audiovisual staff is continuing data entry on the very large White House Photo Office Photo Collection database.

 
October 24, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of one country in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada . The folders and estimated page counts are: United Kingdom (1100 pp.).

 
September 17, 2002
Library staff completed the archival processing and description of the Sidney L. Jones Papers. The collection concerns his work as a high-ranking economic policy officials in the White House and several Federal government departments and agencies during the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bush administrations. View the finding aid for the collection.

 
August 16, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification of two thirds of the collection National Security Adviser. NSC Latin American Affairs Staff: Files. All of the files on individual countries (ca. 6,000 pages) are now open, along with part of the subject file (ca. 1200 pages). Large files concern Cuba , Mexico , and Panama (especially the Panama Canal ). Subject files opened so far range in topic from the Bicentennial to Human Rights to the Law of the Sea.

 
August 9, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of two countries in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Middle East and South Asia . The folders and estimated page counts are: Bangladesh (115 pp.) and Bhutan (10 pp.).

 
July 26, 2002
The Library completed the archival processing and description of two small collections: Richard A. Ford: Ford Paint and Varnish Company Scrapbook (488 pp.) and the Everett Ray Holloway Papers concerning his participation in the Ford administration's clemency program for Vietnam War draft resisters and military deserters (30 pp.). Ford Paint and Varnish Company Scrapbook finding aid * Holloway Papers finding aid

 
June 27, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of several countries in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Middle East and South Asia . The folders and estimated page counts are: Jordan (2100 pp.), Nepal (70 pp.), Oman (90 pp.), and Sri Lanka (19 pp.).

 
June 24, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of one country in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada . The folders and estimated page counts are: Germany (1000 pp.).

 
May 22, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of one country in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Middle East and South Asia . The folders and estimated page counts are: Greece (1225 pp.).

April 26, 2002
The collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Africa , 1974-1977 is now open, and a complete finding aid is now available. The collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific, 1974-1977 was opened in February, and a complete finding aid is now available. Over the past twelve months, portions of both collections had been released on a piecemeal basis, country-by-country.

March 26, 2002
Our research room now has two public access computers affording full Internet access. Access is for research use only, such as access to our website, the NARA Archival Research Catalog (ARC), and other online researcher tools. Researchers will also be able to make use of any web-based e-mail systems to which they have access, provided the e-mail is research-related. The installation is part of an agency-wide initiative.
March 14, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of several countries in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada . The folders and estimated page counts are: Ireland (125 pp.), Luxembourg (45 pp.), Malta (7 pp.), Netherlands (110 pp.), Poland (255 pp.), and Romania (375 pp.).
March, 2002
The Library's audiovisual staff is currently working on an in-house database of the White House Photo Office Photo Collection. So far, nearly 8,600 of 13,000 contact sheets have been described by date, location, names and subject. Queries allow us to look up particular subjects or individuals. The database also indicates whether an individual roll of film is color or black and white, and describes the quality of the images as to their "printability." The database considerably shortens the amount of time required to complete an audiovisual reference inquiry. As of now the database is used only as an in-house reference tool. Eventually we may be able to match descriptions to scans of each of the 280,000+ images in the White House Photo Office Photo Collection and add them to the Library's website.
February 22, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of several countries in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Europe and Canada . The folders and estimated page counts are: Europe – General (100 pp.), Europe – Supreme Allied Commander/NATO (75 pp.), Austria (125 pp.), Belgium (320 pp.), German Democratic Republic (130 pp.), Hungary (130 pp.), Iceland (75 pp.), Yugoslavia (345 pp.) and the Vatican (40 pp.).
February 4, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of two countries in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific . The folders and estimated page counts are: Philippines (330 pp.) and Singapore (195 pp.). These were the last two countries to be reviewed in this collection, so all countries in East Asia and the Pacific Ocean are now available for research. See the collection finding aid.
January 25, 2002
The Library's extensive collection of printed U.S. Senate and House committee hearings , 1974-1976, has become more accessible. The hearings are arranged by committee and there under by date of hearing. Subject access is gained by use of Congressional Information Service's Index and Abstracts volumes, kept in the research room. Access also is facilitated by a photocopy set of title pages and tables of contents, organized by committee and hereunder by date, and also kept in the research room.
January 7, 2002
The Library completed review for possible declassification in the folders of one country in the collection National Security Adviser. Presidential Country Files for Middle East and South Asia . The folders and estimated page counts are: Cyprus (660 pp.).
January 2, 2002
The Library devoted additional resources to its Mandatory Review declassification program in 2001. In response to researcher requests for specific restricted documents, the Library submitted over 4,250 pages of classified material for review by various agencies. Agency determinations are pending on most of these items, but the trend is encouraging. Agency determinations in 2001 resulted in the whole or substantial release of documents totaling 1,393 pages, while the wholly exempted documents totaled 265 pages.

 

See News Notes for Ford Library Researchers for the year 2001