The National Archives is more than just the nation's record keeper and protector of records. It is the steward of the American story that preserves the past to protect the future. The records it holds are the original sources of that story, documenting the collective history of our nation through the actions of individuals and institutions.

The Federal Records Act of 1950 creates a framework to manage agency records.  It puts the National Archives and Records Administration in charge of oversight of the system and NARA determines the historical value of federal records and operates Federal Records Centers around the country.

To date, federal agencies have largely been on their own in terms of how to manage records created via social media tools.  This historically decentralized approach has resulted in some agencies banning the use of social media while other agencies have rapidly adopted their use but ignored the potential records management implications.  The National Archives and Records Administration released a bulletin on managing social media records at the same time this report was released.  It offered some “guidance to Federal agencies, who must then determine the most appropriate ways