The following was written by the National Archives and Records Administration and covers the research rooms at Archives I and Archives II:
Beginning December 27, 2010 all researchers will be required to use locking bags for removing reproductions, personal notes, and other papers from the Research Center.
All researchers are required to have staff inspect their personal property before they exit each Research Room (RR). This procedure makes mandatory the voluntary inspection and bagging of the papers of researchers that has been available for the past 4 years. We are making the use of the document security bags mandatory in an effort to tighten records security procedures throughout the entire research complex.
When you are ready to remove materials from the complex for the day, RR staff will check your materials and place the material in a locked green NARA document security bag similar to a large bank courier bag. When you exit the facilities, present the locked bag to the security officer. Because materials in the bag have already been checked, the officer will only unlock / open the bag and present the contents to you without need of further search. If you leave a research room to work in another, the staff will stamp the papers you need to continue the day’s research to identify them as your personal property and lock up the remainder. At the end of the day, the items listed below should be inspected and bagged, or left un-bagged as indicated below.
The following items must be inspected and bagged:
- Your copies of records
- Your notes on any media
- Other papers and books used in research center that belong to you
- Your CDs, DVDs, video and audio tapes, etc.
The following items must not be bagged:
- Personal computers and scanners
- Power cords, cables, and other peripherals
- Cameras
- Cell phones
- And Most of All – Your property passes showing your ownership of the equipment.
You can read the original announcement on the National Archives' web site at: www.archives.gov/dc-metro/notice-locked-bags.pdf
