Midwest Archives Conference Statement on the Proposed Closure of NARA Archives Centers

The Council of the Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) is alarmed that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has announced plans to close several of its locations in the coming years, including the National Archives at Chicago and the Chicago Federal Records Center, along with offices in San Bruno, CA and Seattle, WA. The transfer of records between locations is anticipated to begin within the next few months, according to an email to NARA staff.

The National Archives at Chicago currently houses more than 140,000 cubic feet of records alone. Those records relate to six states that are also represented within MAC: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The National Archives at Chicago preserves and provides access to records of the Federal Courts and over 80 federal agencies including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Coast Guard. Without doubt, these are significant holdings of immeasurable value. 

Once marketed as “a national resource in a local setting,” the regional archives system was designed in part to provide public access to historically significant records of the federal government in local settings throughout the country. This planned closure will have the opposite effect, moving records further from their principal users: those seeking their own naturalization records to prove citizenship status, those who need records of court cases in which they were involved, descendants of indigenous people who attended government boarding schools, and veterans looking for information about vessels they served on in the Great Lakes, to name a few.

As archivists, we recognize that these records will never be digitized in their entirety. Every relocation of records creates opportunities for damage and loss. Sending these records to another facility reduces access to the records themselves, as well as to the archival staff who have decades of knowledge and experience of working with the records themselves, who know regional history topics and their connection to the records, who understand the intersections between records held by NARA and other regional archives, and more. This knowledge and expertise cannot be replaced overnight. While it is unclear whether positions will be moved from Chicago to other NARA facilities, it takes an entire career to develop such an intimate knowledge of the records and the regional history. These archival professionals stand to lose their livelihoods; Midwesterners and those who are interested in Midwestern history will lose a wealth of tacit knowledge if this plan moves forward.

We urge NARA and members of Congress to reconsider these plans. For decades, the regional archives have served a vital role in connecting Americans to their past, ensured citizens’ rights, protected democracy through open and accountable government, and, through exhibits, educational programming, lectures, and more, have helped the public learn about their region and our nation. As we celebrate America 250 – using, in part, the records preserved and made accessible by NARA – we call upon our leaders to invest the resources required to make archives accessible for America 300 and beyond.

Approved by the MAC Council on July 9, 2026.