Tenth Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero, Visit to IU Bloomington

Tenth Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero, Visit to IU Bloomington

By Maggie McDonald

On October 4, Indiana University Libraries welcomed David Ferriero, Tenth Archivist of the United States, to the Indiana University Bloomington campus. 

Aligning with the Themester theme of Lux et Veritas, Ferriero shared his thoughts on open government, presidential records and classified documents, and the important role archives and archivists play in collecting, preserving, and sharing histories.   

Attendees were encouraged to submit questions before and throughout the event, with Ferriero responding to queries on climate change, the evolution of the archives, and what an Archivist of the United States actually does. 

In the U.S. Presidential Memorandum Managing Government Records, President Obama wrote, “Improving records management will improve performance and promote openness and accountability by better documenting agency actions and decisions.” In his role as Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero promoted good recordkeeping as the backbone of open government. His visit will highlight the important role that records management and archives play in accountability and access.  

Ferriero was sworn in as Tenth Archivist of the United States on November 13, 2009. Previously, he served as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries (NYPL). Ferriero was the first librarian to serve as Archivist of the United States. His retirement as U.S. Archivist was effective on April 30, 2022.