Yesterday I reported that rumors were floating around that David Ferriero would be nominated as the next Archivist of the United States. Those rumors are now confirmed: President Barack Obama has announced that he plans to nominate David Ferriero to head the National Archives and Records Administration, White House officials have said.
If confirmed as the new U.S. Archivist, Ferriero would be responsible for working to improve how the government tracks and maintains its electronic records. NARA is putting in place its next-generation Electronic Records Archive system, estimated to cost more than $550 million.
Ferriero reportedly is highly regarded by the library community and the immediate response has all been positive. New York Public Library's Board of Trustees Chair Catherine Marron lauded the pick and said "the entire country will benefit from his experience and wisdom."
Ferriero currently is the director of the New York Public Libraries where he is responsible for collection strategy; conservation; digital experience; reference and research services; and education, programming and exhibitions. He has been director since June 2007.
Prior to that, he was the chief executive of NYPL's Research Libraries for three years and as the University Librarian and vice provost for library affairs at Duke University. Prior to that, he spent 31 years on the staff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology libraries.
Mr. Ferriero's nomination is timely: the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which monitors the archives, has been scrutinizing the disappearance of significant documents and records from the Clinton administration, including personal information of one of former Vice President Al Gore’s three daughters. Those records were created during the Clinton administration and then disappeared during the Bush administration.
