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Office of Policy and Plans

Office Work Instruction

Management of the NASA Historical

Reference Collection

Original Approved by

Lori B. Garver

Associate Administrator

Office of Policy and Plans

# DOCUMENT HISTORY LOG

+---------+--------+--------+-----------------------------------------+
| Status  | Do     | Eff    | Description                             |
|         | cument | ective |                                         |
| (Ba     |        |        |                                         |
| seline/ | Re     | Date   |                                         |
|         | vision |        |                                         |
| Re      |        |        |                                         |
| vision/ |        |        |                                         |
|         |        |        |                                         |
| Ca      |        |        |                                         |
| nceled) |        |        |                                         |
+---------+--------+--------+-----------------------------------------+
| B       |        | 12     |                                         |
| aseline |        | /10/99 |                                         |
+---------+--------+--------+-----------------------------------------+
| Admin   | Ba     | 4      | Administrative Update to change         |
| Update  | seline | /24/02 | responsible organization from Code Z to |
|         |        |        | Code I. Action taken as a result of the |
|         |        |        | July 10, 2001 memo from Administrator   |
|         |        |        | Dan Goldin to redistribute Code Z       |
|         |        |        | functions to other offices at HQS.      |
|         |        |        | Authorization made via email on 4/24/02 |
|         |        |        | from Code I/Lynn Cline to transfer this |
|         |        |        | OWI to her organization. (This OWI use  |
|         |        |        | to be Z005.)                            |
+---------+--------+--------+-----------------------------------------+
|         |        |        |                                         |
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1.  **Purpose**

> The purpose of this procedure is to capture and make available to NASA
> employees, researchers, and the general public, documents recording
> the history of NASA's programs.

2.  **Scope and Applicability**

> This OWI covers maintenance of the Historical Reference Collection by
> the History Office staff at NASA Headquarters for reference use by
> NASA officials, researchers, and the general public. Documents are
> obtained from NASA organizations and current and former NASA employees
> and are copies of Federal records and publicly available materials
> from non-NASA sources. NASA Records Retention Schedules and the NASA
> Handbook (see references below) govern the retention, retirement, and
> destruction of agency records, thus determining the content of the
> Historical Reference Collection.

3.  **Definitions**

> Because the NASA Headquarters History Office serves, among others, the
> general public, we do not rely on NASA-unique terminology or acronyms
> for effective communications.

3.1 [NASA HQ Historical Reference Collection]{.underline}: A collection
of non-federal record copies of news articles, reports, correspondence,
and related publications located at NASA Headquarters, and available for
examination by NASA officials and other researchers during normal NASA
business hours. Most materials are available in hardcopy form although
some are available in electronic form as well.

3.2 [Historical Program Review Team]{.underline}: Experts in the history
of aerospace technology, policy, and business who are routinely
consulted to assist in planning and performance evaluations for the NASA
History program.

3.  [Document Management System]{.underline}: A computer-based on-line
    catalogue of, and finding aid for, documents contained in the NASA
    HQ Historical Reference Collection.

4.  [Support Contractors]{.underline}: Two professionally trained and
    experienced archivists provided to the History Office by an outside
    contractor for the purpose of assisting with the arrangement,
    description, and reference services in the HRC.

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4.  **References**

    1.  NHB 1101.3, Sect. 425.b(1)(e), "The NASA Organization and
        Definition of Terms."

    2.  NPG 1441.1C, "Records Retention Schedules."

    3.  HHR-64, "Research in NASA History: A Guide to the NASA History
        Program."

    4.  "Procedure for Handling Reference Requests," September 1999.

    5.  Standard Form 135, "Records Transmittal and Receipt Form."

![](media/image2.wmf)

**6. Procedure**

+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| ##  | ## Actionee   | ## Action                                      |
|  St |               |                                                |
| ep  |               |                                                |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.1 | Chief         | Identify biographical and subject files and    |
|     | Historian,    | reference materials to be added to the         |
|     | Archivist     | Historical Reference Collection by consulting  |
|     |               | with NASA officials, History Office staff, and |
|     |               | Historical Program Review Team. Actionees also |
|     |               | use subject-matter expertise as well as        |
|     |               | guidance conveyed in NPG 1441.1C, Records      |
|     |               | Retention Schedules, to identify HRC material. |
|     |               | Materials come from a number of sources:       |
|     |               | distribution lists, printed and online         |
|     |               | sources, NASA organizations, current and       |
|     |               | former NASA employees, and employees under     |
|     |               | contract to the agency.                        |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.2 | Archivist     | After receiving historical materials,          |
|     | with Support  | assemble, arrange, and file materials using    |
|     | Contractors   | procedures and criteria established in NASA    |
|     |               | HHR-64, *Research in NASA History: A Guide to  |
|     |               | the NASA History Program*.                     |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.3 | Archivist     | Enter descriptive information, including       |
|     | with Support  | location, into History Office Document         |
|     | Contractors   | Management System. Maintain descriptive        |
|     |               | information (DMS record) in electronic form    |
|     |               | searchable by History Office staff and         |
|     |               | researchers.                                   |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.4 | Chief         | Review and select materials for retirement to  |
|     | Historian,    | the Federal Records Center or National         |
|     | Archivist     | Archives and Records Administration in         |
|     |               | accordance with NPG 1441.1C. Records are       |
|     |               | retired to FRC and NARA based on timetables    |
|     |               | and other instructions spelled out in NPG      |
|     |               | 1441.1C and in consultation with the agency    |
|     |               | Records Manager. Go to step 6.7.               |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.5 | History       | Assist visitors with research in the           |
|     | Office staff, | Historical Reference Collection by guiding     |
|     | with Support  | them through a database search of the History  |
|     | Contractors   | Office Document Management System. Provide     |
|     |               | visitors with a copy of NASA HHR-64, *Research |
|     |               | in NASA History: A Guide to the NASA History   |
|     |               | Program* to facilitate their research.         |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.6 | History       | Receive and respond to inquiries received by   |
|     | Office staff, | phone, fax, e-mail, or letter from NASA staff, |
|     | with Support  | researchers, and the general public. Prepare   |
|     | Contractors   | and maintain answers to frequently asked       |
|     |               | questions (FAQs) on a network, shared drive.   |
|     |               | Prepare individual responses to information    |
|     |               | requests that require additional research and  |
|     |               | retain copies of those responses only for a    |
|     |               | limited period of time. An internal, History   |
|     |               | Office document entitled "Procedures for       |
|     |               | Handling Reference Requests" explains this     |
|     |               | action in further detail.                      |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.7 | Chief         | Are Records Ready for Retirement (see step     |
|     | Historian,    | 6.4)? If so proceed to step 6.8. If not,       |
|     | Archivist     | retain in HRC or evaluate for retirement at a  |
|     |               | later date.                                    |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.8 | Chief         | Prepare materials for retirement to FRC or     |
|     | Historian,    | NARA in accordance with NPG 1441.1C and in     |
|     |               | consultation with the agency Records Manager.  |
|     | Archivist     |                                                |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+
| 6.9 | Chief         | Send materials to FRC or NARA by contacting    |
|     | Historian,    | agency Records Manager to arrange for pickup   |
|     | Archivist     | of boxes along with the required paperwork, a  |
|     |               | Records Transmittal and Receipt Form, SF-135.  |
+-----+---------------+------------------------------------------------+

  ------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------
  6.10   Chief Historian Prepare and issue monthly and yearly History
                         Office activity reports that include information
                         on research use of the historical reference
                         collection. Receive input from History Office
                         staff prior to preparation of reports.
                         Re-examine monthly reports prior to annual
                         report preparation. Reports are distributed to
                         Code Z Associate Administrator and staff.
                         Additionally, yearly report is placed on the
                         NASA History Office web site.

  ------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------

**7. Quality Records**

+----------+-------+-------+--------+-------+------------------------+
| Record   | Owner | Loc   | Record | Sch   | Retention/Disposition  |
| Identi   |       | ation | Media: | edule |                        |
| fication |       |       | Elec   | N     |                        |
|          |       |       | tronic | umber |                        |
|          |       |       | or     | and   |                        |
|          |       |       | Hard   | Item  |                        |
|          |       |       | Copy   | N     |                        |
|          |       |       |        | umber |                        |
|          |       |       |        | (NPG  |                        |
|          |       |       |        | 144   |                        |
|          |       |       |        | 1.1C) |                        |
+----------+-------+-------+--------+-------+------------------------+
| HRC      | Arch  | Hi    | Hard   | 1.8.B | Retain indefinitely in |
|          | ivist | story | Copy   |       | agency space until no  |
| Files    |       | O     |        |       | longer needed, or      |
|          |       | ffice |        |       | destroy when 75 years  |
|          |       |       |        |       | old, whichever is      |
|          |       |       |        |       | longer.                |
+----------+-------+-------+--------+-------+------------------------+
| History  | Arch  | Hi    | Elec   | 1.8.B | Retain indefinitely in |
| Office   | ivist | story | tronic |       | agency space until no  |
| Document |       | O     |        |       | longer needed, or      |
| Mgmt.    |       | ffice |        |       | destroy when 75 years  |
| System   |       |       |        |       | old, whichever is      |
| Record   |       |       |        |       | longer.                |
+----------+-------+-------+--------+-------+------------------------+
| R        | Hi    | Hi    | Elec   | 1.8.B | Retain indefinitely in |
| esponses | story | story | tronic |       | agency space until no  |
| to       | Off.  | O     |        |       | longer needed, or      |
| Fre      | S     | ffice |        |       | destroy when 75 years  |
| quent-ly | taff, |       |        |       | old, whichever is      |
| Asked    | Co    |       |        |       | longer.                |
| Q        | ntrac |       |        |       |                        |
| uestions | -tors |       |        |       |                        |
| (FAQs)   |       |       |        |       |                        |
+----------+-------+-------+--------+-------+------------------------+
| Records  | Arch  | Hi    | Ha     | 1.8.B | Retain indefinitely in |
| Tra      | ivist | story | rdcopy |       | agency space until no  |
| nsmittal |       | O     |        |       | longer needed, or      |
| and      |       | ffice |        |       | destroy when 75 years  |
| Receipt  |       |       |        |       | old, whichever is      |
| Form,    |       |       |        |       | longer.                |
|          |       |       |        |       |                        |
| SF-135   |       |       |        |       |                        |
+----------+-------+-------+--------+-------+------------------------+
| Monthly  | Chief | Hi    | Elec   | 1.1   | Permanent; retire to   |
| Report   | Hist  | story | tronic | 2.B.1 | Federal Records Center |
|          | orian | O     |        |       | when 5 years old;      |
|          |       | ffice |        |       | transfer to National   |
|          |       |       |        |       | Archives Records       |
|          |       |       |        |       | Administration in 5    |
|          |       |       |        |       | year blocks when 20    |
|          |       |       |        |       | years old.             |
+----------+-------+-------+--------+-------+------------------------+
| Annual   | Chief | Hi    | Elec   | 1.1   | Permanent; retire to   |
|          | Hist  | story | tronic | 2.B.1 | Federal Records Center |
| Report   | orian | O     |        |       | when 5 years old;      |
|          |       | ffice |        |       | transfer to National   |
|          |       |       |        |       | Archives Records       |
|          |       |       |        |       | Administration in 5    |
|          |       |       |        |       | year blocks when 20    |
|          |       |       |        |       | years old.             |
+----------+-------+-------+--------+-------+------------------------+

APPENDIX: \[ None \]