National Archives and Records Administration

What National Archives and Records Administration does

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent U.S. federal agency established in 1934 that preserves, manages, and provides public access to the permanently valuable records of the federal government. It operates a national network of 14 regional archival facilities, 13 Presidential Libraries from Herbert Hoover through Donald Trump, Federal Records Centers that store and service records for executive branch agencies, and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), which mediates Freedom of Information Act disputes. Service lines include certified records reproduction (paper, microfilm, photo, and digital scans) priced under 36 CFR Part 1258, FOIA request processing, declassification programs, veteran and military personnel records requests, and educational platforms such as Docs Teach. Core digital products are archives.gov, the National Archives Catalog, and the Citizen Archivist Program.

NARA's technology stack increasingly centers on AI-powered document processing. The Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) system uses Amazon Textract to digitize paper holdings, with an explicit goal of reaching 500 million digitized pages by October 2026 out of an estimated 13 billion paper documents. NARA has integrated Google Vertex AI to deliver semantic search through an AI Search Tool, supports machine-tagged catalog records, and exposes archival metadata via XML exports and machine-tag conventions (nara:arcid) compatible with data.gov. Partnerships with FamilySearch, Google Arts & Culture, NotebookLM, and the National Park Service extend the digitization and public-engagement pipeline. NARA is ADA and Section 508 compliant across its facilities and web properties.

NARA is funded primarily through congressional appropriations rather than commercial revenue, with additional income from regulated records-reproduction fees and from non-governmental partnerships (e.g., a Bank of America Museums on Us grant supporting extended operating hours). Its customer base spans general citizens, veterans and military families, genealogists, K-12 and higher-education users, academic researchers, federal agencies requiring records management services, and congressional oversight bodies. Distribution is hybrid: digital via archives.gov and the Catalog, physical via regional archives and Presidential Libraries, and government-to-government via the Federal Records Centers network.

Name

National Archives and Records Administration

Legal name

The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Website

https://archives.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is a U.S. federal agency that preserves, digitizes, and provides public access to federal government records, serving citizens, veterans, genealogists, researchers, and federal agencies through archives.gov, 14 regional facilities, and 13 Presidential Libraries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Records Management and Archival Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Libraries and Archives (51921), Public Administration (92)

akta.pro primary industry

National Archives, Records & Information Governance (BPAIAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Registrar, Records & Institutional Data Stewardship (EDADAKAE)

Keywords

• Federal records management
• Archival preservation services
• Government documents access
• Presidential libraries operation
• FOIA request processing

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Records Reproduction and Copying Services: NARA generates revenue through fees for reproducing records, including paper copies, scans, microfilm digitization, photo prints, and document certification. Fees are set per the federal regulations (36 CFR Part 1258).
2. Federal Appropriations: Primary funding comes from congressional appropriations as a federal agency, supporting core operations for records management, preservation, and public access services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NARA preserves, manages, and provides public access to U.S. federal government records spanning every presidency since 1789, including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The agency operates a network of regional archives, Presidential Libraries, and Federal Records Centers, and delivers services such as military service records requests, genealogical research access, FOIA processing, AI-powered document search, and educational resources.

Product overview

NARA operates as a federal agency providing public access to government records through multiple digital platforms and physical locations. The core product is the National Archives Catalog (catalog.archives.gov) serving as the central finding aid for archival holdings. Supporting platforms include archives.gov for public access, FOIA request processing services, and specialized tools like the AI Search Tool for semantic search. NARA also provides educational resources through Docs Teach, public engagement via the Citizen Archivist Program, and maintains social media presence on major platforms. The organization manages a network of presidential libraries and physical research facilities across the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Archives Catalog

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 million pages digitized using AI-powered intelligent document processing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bank of AmericaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 June 2026Bank of America expanded its Museums on Us program to 250 cultural institutions including the National Archives. As part of America 250 celebrations, Bank of America is providing grants to cultural organizations including extended operating hours funding for the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
• Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 June 2026Bank of America provided a $5 million founding gift to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, part of NARA's Presidential Libraries system, supporting its establishment and programming.
• Intrepid MuseumminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 June 2026Partnership through Bank of America's expanded Museums on Us program, providing $1 million total support for cultural institutions including the Intrepid Museum as part of the America 250 initiative.
• Google Arts & CulturecoreTechnology or Integration · 4 May 2026Google Arts & Culture partnered with the White House Task Force 250 and NARA to launch the 'Making of the Nation' initiative showcasing American founding documents and artifacts. The digital exhibit uses AI, interactive storytelling, and 3D galleries to bring historical documents including the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights to life for public access.
• National Park ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Partnership with National Park Service for the America 250 'Making of the Nation' initiative, bringing together federal cultural heritage institutions to celebrate the nation's founding anniversary.
• FamilySearchcoreTechnology or Integration · 3 June 2025NARA partnered with FamilySearch to process over 2 million Revolutionary War-era pension files, making them publicly searchable and accessible through the NARA Catalog. FamilySearch contributes genealogical expertise and processing resources to accelerate digitization of historical military records.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Amazon TextractcoreTechnology or IntegrationNARA uses Amazon Textract AI-powered document processing to digitize 13 billion paper documents, targeting 500 million pages by October 2026. Textract enables automated extraction of text and data from historical documents at scale.
• Google Vertex AIcoreTechnology or IntegrationNARA's AI Search Tool uses Google Vertex for semantic search capabilities, powering the search engine for archival records research. Provides researchers with AI-generated search results to quickly identify relevant archival materials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FamilySearch: Genealogical organization actively partnered with NARA on processing 2M+ Revolutionary War-era pension files. Operates complementary genealogical research platform and shares NARA's mission of making historical records publicly accessible.
• Library of Congress: The U.S. Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and shares NARA's federal cultural heritage mandate, including national-level collections, digitization programs, and public access services. Both operate as statutory federal institutions serving researchers, Congress, and the public.
• The National Archives (UK): The UK National Archives serves the same core function for British government records as NARA does for the U.S. federal government — preserving, managing, and providing public access to official state records. Operates a comparable catalog system and serves analogous researcher/citizen segments.
• Library and Archives Canada: Canadian federal institution combining library and archival functions similar to NARA's integrated mandate. Manages government records, provides public access, and operates digitization programs serving researchers and citizens.
• National Archives of Australia: Australia's national archive performs functionally identical roles to NARA — federal records management, digitization initiatives, and public access to government documents. Similar governance structure as an executive branch agency with statutory mandate.

Emerging players

• Ancestry: Commercial genealogy platform that leverages archival records (including NARA collections) to deliver family history services. While commercial and narrower in scope, addresses overlapping customer segments (genealogists, family historians).

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Institution: Federal cultural institution with massive collections, museum network, and digitization initiatives that overlap with NARA's preservation and public access mandate. Broader in scope (science, art, history) but shares federal cultural stewardship model.
• Iron Mountain: Private-sector records storage and information management company serving enterprise and government clients. Provides physical and digital records storage that complements NARA's Federal Records Centers but operates commercially with broader business focus.

Regional players

• Archives nationales (France): France's national archive performs the equivalent function for French government records, with similar collections, public access model, and digitization programs. Geographic separation makes it a regional peer rather than direct competitor.

Others

• Google Arts & Culture: Technology partner working with NARA on the 'Making of the Nation' initiative, providing AI, 3D galleries, and interactive exhibits. Functions as an enabling technology platform rather than direct competitor, but shapes how NARA's collections reach global audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usnatarchives
• YouTubearchives.gov/social-media/youtube.html
• Facebookfacebook.com/usnationalarchives
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-archives-ii-college-park-md
• Instagramarchives.gov/social-media/instagram.html
• Pinterestarchives.gov/social-media/pinterest.html

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Archives and Records Administration