LIVE WEBINAR - Friday, November 13, 2026 at 12 PM Pacific

Organization of American Historians (OAH) Friday Forum: NARA Regional Closures and the Fight to Preserve Access

The announced closures of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regional archives in San Bruno, California, and Chicago threaten access to federal records essential to historical research and to the communities whose histories they document. The proposed closures have prompted responses from historians, archivists, community organizations, and public officials at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as grassroots organizing and legal efforts to challenge the decisions. As these efforts unfold, questions remain about the future of the records, the communities and researchers who depend on them, and the possibilities for preventing or reversing the closures.

This webinar will bring together voices involved in responding to the announced closures to discuss developments at the local, state, and federal levels, examine the grassroots advocacy and legal actions underway, and consider what comes next. The conversation will explore the stakes for historical research and public access to government records, the strategies being pursued to protect access to these resources, and how we can contribute to these efforts. Historians, students, archivists, educators, and anyone concerned about the future of NARA and its regional branches are invited to bring their questions and perspectives to the conversation, which will be moderated by OAH President Marc Stein and OAH Executive Director Beth English.

Discussants:

• Renée Carl, Genealogist and Historical Records Access and Preservation Advocate

• Grant Din, Historical Research and Genealogy Consultant; Communications Co-chair, Save Our National Archives

• Eric Lukoff, Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director, Office of Congressman Kevin Mullin (CA-15)

• Caleb McDaniel, Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Humanities and Professor of History, Rice University

• Gretchen Neidhardt, Chicago-area Librarian and Archivist; NARA Great Lakes Facility Ad Hoc Committee, Chicago Area Archivists

• Hilarie Pitman Pozesky, Founder and Lead Archivist, Sepia Archival Management; NARA Great Lakes Facility Ad Hoc Committee, Chicago Area Archivists

Register here.