MARA Blog: Around the Web
Political Shockwaves at the National Archives
Archivist ousted—transparency under threat?
Published by Andrew Wiegert, September 19th, 2025
President Trump abruptly fired Archivist Colleen Shogan in February 2025, leading to a cascade of resignations and retirements within the agency. Acting leadership, including Marco Rubio and Jim Byron, took over amidst deep concerns about the Archives being politicized and deviating from its nonpartisan mission.
Link:
CDC Records Deletion Deemed “Likely Unlawful”
Judge halts CDC’s mass email deletion policy.
Published by Andrew Wiegert, September 12th, 2025
A U.S. District Judge ruled that the CDC’s practice of deleting departing employees’ emails—90 days post-departure—is “likely unlawful.” The agency failed to adhere to the approved retention period under the Capstone protocol (three to seven years), prompting the injunction to force compliance until the case concludes.
Link:
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/09/cdc-records-lawsuit-ruling-00173416
Report – 2025 NAGARA Conference in OKC
My reflections on attending my first social gathering of (largely) introverts
Published by Andrew Wiegert, August 9th, 2025
Amistad Research Center Faces Federal Cuts
Black history on the brink—but holding on
Published by Andrew Wiegert, August 29th, 2025
National Archives to Showcase Rare Founding Documents in New Exhibition Series
Unlocking America’s past, one vault at a time
Published by Andrew Wiegert, August 22nd, 2025
NY State Museum Appoints First Woman Director
Historic leadership for a museum rooted in history
Published by Andrew Wiegert, August 15th, 2025
Budget Cuts Put New Archives Building in Doubt
D.C. archives vision scaled down as costs swamp plans.
Published by Andrew Wiegert, August 8th, 2025
LGBTQ+ Archives Defy Erasure in Latin America
Records of resilience—community-led archiving fights injustice.
Published by Andrew Wiegert, August 1st, 2025
Ireland Reclaims 700 Years of Lost Records
From ashes to archives—Ireland rebuilds its documented past.
Published by Andrew Wiegert, July 25th, 2025
Google’s AI Summaries Challenge Information Governance
AI too smart? Google Discover raises governance alarms.
Published by Andrew Wiegert, July 18th, 2025
Google has introduced AI-generated summaries in its Discover feed, offering quick previews of articles aggregated from various publishers. While this improves user convenience, it also complicates the information governance landscape—impacting metadata accuracy, intellectual property attribution, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. For archivists, librarians, and e-discovery professionals, this raises critical questions about content traceability and control in AI-mediated ecosystems.
ARMA InfoCon Vault Launches: Your On-Demand Gateway to RIM Insights
Missed a session? The Vault never forgets.
Published by Andrew Wiegert, June 23rd, 2025
If you’re serious about records and information management (RIM), ARMA just handed you a golden key: the InfoCon 2025 Vault.
AI & Digital Preservation: Round table – Documation 2025
AI Ethics in the Archive: Friend or Foe?
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, July 4th, 2025
A roundtable on AI in archiving balances innovation with ethics. Morgan Attias warns: “each document must retain a clear chain of provenance,” while others stress AI’s role as a tool—not a replacement—emphasizing human oversight.
New Resource: AI and Archival Practice On-Line Tutorials
AI Archives Go Global: ICA Tutorial Series
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, June 27th, 2025
The International Council on Archives has launched a resource exploring AI in archival practice. Expert Adrian Cunningham highlights international descriptive standards and showcases projects in Korea and France—like handwriting recognition and virtual reading rooms.
https://www.ica.org/new-resource-ai-and-archival-practice-on-line-tutorials
CoSA and Preservica launch 2025 Digital Preservation Education and Advocacy program
CoSA + Preservica: Records Management Uplift
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, June 20th, 2025
The Council of State Archives teamed with Preservica to launch 2025’s Digital Preservation Education & Advocacy Program. Featuring a three‑part virtual workshop series, this initiative empowers state archivists to cut costs, modernize workflows, and elevate digital record transfers.
AI Tags History: Smarter Archives at Work
AI is already being implemented to streamline archiving processes, enhancing the efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of archival materials.
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, June 13th, 2025
The blog “How AI Is Changing Digital Archives…” reveals how machine‑learning tools—like Google’s Cloud Vision and NLP systems—are automating metadata creation, enriching searchability, and bringing semantic intelligence to collections like Archives Portal Europe
https://www.historica.org/blog/ais-role-in-preserving-digital-archives
Retro Revival: GOG Joins Europe’s Largest Game Preservation Effort
Saving Pixels and Play: GOG Levels Up Game Preservation
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, June 6th, 2025
Gamers and preservationists, rejoice!
GOG (Good Old Games) has officially joined the European Federation of Video Game Archives, Museums, and Preservation (EFGAMP)—a powerhouse alliance of cultural institutions and memory champions.
Charleston Cemetery Goes Digital to Preserve Black History
Restoring Stories, Not Just Stones: Charleston’s Past Goes Digital
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, May 30th, 2025
Charleston cemetery gets digital preservation to honor and preserve black history
Tucked away in the heart of Charleston, a quiet but powerful preservation effort is unfolding. The Charleston Humane and Friendly Society Cemetery, founded in 1856, is one of the city’s oldest historically Black cemeteries—and it’s now being digitally preserved for generations to come.
VDA to engage INTACH to preserve its documents and maps
Preserving the Past to Guide Varanasi’s Future
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, May 23rd, 2025
Varanasi’s Hidden Histories Get a Second Life Through Preservation Partnership
In the ancient city of Varanasi, history is etched into every street, structure, and—soon—every document. The Varanasi Development Authority (VDA) has announced a new collaboration with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) to conserve over seven decades’ worth of archival materials, including documents and maps dating back to 1950.
International Archives Week 2025 is coming up!
Empowering Access, Elevating Voices, Preserving the Future.
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, May 16th, 2025
Mark your calendars— International Archives Week 2025 is just around the corner, and this year’s theme promises to inspire! From June 2–8, archivists and information professionals around the globe will come together under the banner of “Stronger Archives Through Collaboration”, celebrating the powerful role of archives in shaping inclusive, connected communities.
Preserving AI
Future scholars will need an enduring digital record of AI technology
Published by: Andrew Wiegert, April 25th, 2025