[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 112 (Friday, June 12, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 27956-27957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14009]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

36 CFR Part 1253

RIN 3095-AB61


NARA Facility Locations and Hours

AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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

SUMMARY: NARA proposes to change the hours open to the public for our 
Kansas City, Missouri, and New York City regional archives. The Kansas 
City regional archives relocated on March 17, 2009, to the Union 
Station Complex at 400 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, Missouri. NARA 
is also proposing to shift the hours open to the public at the New York 
City regional archives to better serve the public for the range of 
hours covering the majority of visits. This proposed rule will affect 
the public.

DATES: Submit comments on or before August 11, 2009.

ADDRESSES: NARA invites interested persons to submit comments on this 
proposed rule. Please include ``Attn: 3095-AB61'' and your name and 
mailing address in your comments. Comments may be submitted by any of 
the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    <bullet> Fax: Submit comments by facsimile transmission to 301-837-
0319.
    <bullet> Mail: Send comments to Regulations Comments Desk (NPOL), 
Room 4100, Policy and Planning Staff, National Archives and Records 
Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver comments to 8601 Adelphi 
Road, College Park, MD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Davis Heaps at 301-837-1801.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The location of NARA's Kansas City regional 
archives has changed. This document proposes to update 36 CFR Part 1253 
with the new location information. Also, NARA proposes a change of 
hours for our Kansas City location and existing New York City location.

Kansas City, MO

    NARA published a notice in the Federal Register on October 20, 2008 
(73 FR 62340), announcing a temporary change in hours for our Kansas 
City regional archives to prepare for the move to the location covered 
in this proposed rule. On March 17, 2009, the Kansas City regional 
archives relocated to the Union Station Complex at 400 West Pershing 
Road, Kansas City, Missouri. We are proposing to revise 36 CFR 
1253.7(c) to include the new address for that regional archives, as 
well as the new research room hours, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. 
These hours correspond with public hours for other institutions in the 
Union Station/Crossroads cultural district, including the Kansas City 
Museum at Union Station and the National World War I Museum.
    Other hours at the new Kansas City location are as follows:
    <bullet> Exhibits Galleries: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.
    <bullet> Administration and Records Management Services to Federal 
Agencies: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
    <bullet> Kansas City Store at the National Archives: 10 a.m.-4 
p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.
    These hours, while not proposed for inclusion in Sec.  1253.7(c) of 
this part, will be available on NARA's Web site, http://www.archives.gov.

New York, NY

    NARA is also proposing to shift the hours open to the public at the 
New York City regional archives to better serve patrons for the range 
of hours the vast majority want to visit. There will be

[[Page 27957]]

slightly fewer hours per week but with little, if any, anticipated 
adverse impact upon the public. This location is currently open Monday 
through Friday, 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and the first Saturday of each 
month from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (42.5 hours per week, plus 8 
extended hours per month). Proposed new hours would be Monday through 
Friday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on the first Saturday of each month, 9 
a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (40 hours per week, plus 7.5 extended hours per 
month). This change would result in a slight reduction of hours (2.5 
hours per week, plus half an hour per month).
    Since October 2007, the New York regional archives has had an 
average of less than one visitor during the hour from 8 to 9 a.m.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Number of days  Average number
                                                                  Number of days      with no       of visitors
                            Date span                                  open          visitors      between 8 and
                                                                                   before 9 a.m.      9 a.m.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 2006-September 2007.....................................             259              53             1.5
October 2007-September 2008.....................................             264              79             0.9
October 2008-February 2009......................................             105              40             0.9
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 1. Public Visitors at NARA's New York Regional Archives, October 
2006-February 2009.

    As seen in Figure 1, from October 2007 through September 2008, New 
York had no visitors before 9 a.m. on just under 30 percent of the days 
open to the public. From October 2008 through February 2009, there were 
no visitors before 9 a.m. on 38 percent of the days open to the public. 
As a result, we do not anticipate that opening one hour later will 
negatively impact public use. Visitors who do arrive before 9 a.m. 
usually are regular researchers who remain at the facility most of the 
day. We also believe that remaining open until 5 p.m. will benefit 
those who come to us later in the day. In many cases, these visitors 
arrive after 4 p.m. and have been sent to our offices by other Federal 
agencies.
    This proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action for the 
purposes of Executive Order 12866 and has not been reviewed by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As required by the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, it is hereby certified that this proposed rule will 
not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities 
because this rule applies to individual researchers. This proposed rule 
does not have any federalism implications.

List of Subjects in 36 CFR Part 1253

    Archives and records.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, NARA proposes to amend 
part 1253 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 1253--LOCATIONS OF RECORDS AND HOURS OF USE

    1. The authority citation for part 1253 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 2104(a).

    2. Amend Sec.  1253.7 by revising paragraphs (c) and (g) as 
follows:


Sec.  1253.7  Regional Archives.

* * * * *
    (c) NARA--Northeast Region (New York City) is located at 201 Varick 
Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10014-4811 (entrance on Houston 
Street, between Varick and Hudson). The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 212-401-1620 or Toll 
Free 1-866-840-1752.
* * * * *
    (g) NARA--Central Plains Region (Kansas City) is located at 400 
West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO 64108. The hours are 8 a.m. to 4 
p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The telephone number is 816-268-8000.
* * * * *

    Dated: June 1, 2009.
Adrienne C. Thomas,
Acting Archivist of the United States.
[FR Doc. E9-14009 Filed 6-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7515-01-P