[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 22 (Friday, February 1, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 6030-6031]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1947]


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NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

36 CFR Part 1253

RIN 3095-AB57
[Docket NARA-08-0001]


Locations and Hours; Changes in NARA Research Room Hours

AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

ACTION: Interim final rule; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: NARA is revising its regulations to increase the number of 
hours its archival research rooms are open in the Washington, DC, area. 
At the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 2007, NARA reduced the extended 
hours that these research rooms were open to the public because of 
fiscal constraints. For the FY 2008 NARA budget, the Congress has 
provided funding to increase the hours. This regulation will affect 
individuals who use our archival research rooms in the National 
Archives Building and National Archives at College Park facility. This 
rule also adds the Nixon Presidential Library and revises the address 
of our Fort Worth facility to our list of research facilities.

DATES: This interim final rule is effective April 14, 2008. Comments on 
this interim final rule must be received by March 17, 2008 at the 
address shown below. Any changes to the rule resulting from this 
comment period will be made as soon as practicable after the April 14, 
2008 effective date.

ADDRESSES: NARA invites interested persons to submit comments on this 
interim final rule. Comments may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: Submit comments by facsimile transmission to 301-837-
0319.
     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.

[[Page 6031]]

     Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver comments to 8601 Adelphi 
Road, College Park, MD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Allard at 301-837-1477 or 
Jennifer Davis Heaps at 301-837-1801 or via fax number 301-837-0319.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A discussion of the changes we are making in 
this rule follows.

Research Room Hours in DC Area Facilities

    The FY 2008 NARA Budget in the Consolidation Appropriations Act of 
2007 signed by President Bush on December 26, 2007, includes $1.3 
million to restore evening and Saturday hours in the research rooms in 
the National Archives Building and the National Archives at College 
Park (Archives II). Prior to October 1, 2006, these research rooms were 
open three evenings per week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday) and every 
Saturday. Under this interim final rule, the research rooms will be 
open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday. On 
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday they will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 
We decided to make this adjustment to the previous schedule so that 
out-of-town researchers will have consecutive evenings along with 
Saturday to work. This schedule will also make staffing the rooms 
easier for managers. We set the effective date of the new hours as 
April 14, 2008 to allow time to hire and train the additional research 
room staff and to adjust the terms of the security guard contract.
    When we restore evening hours our researchers will need to have 
records provided to them late in the afternoon. We will provide the 
additional service of pulling records from the stacks at 3:30 p.m. on 
the three weekdays that we are open in the evening. As was the case 
prior to October 2006, there will be no records pulled on Saturday.

Other Changes in This Rule

    In Sec.  1253.3, we are adding the address and contact information 
for the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, which became a 
NARA Presidential Library on July 11, 2007. In Sec.  1253.6(i), we have 
revised the address and contact information for the Fort Worth Federal 
Records Center, which moved to a new location in 2007.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    The issuance of an ``interim final rule'' may be followed under the 
``good-cause'' exemption of 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B) as ``impracticable'' 
or ``contrary to the public interest.'' In this instance, good cause 
exists because delay in implementation of the new hours would be 
contrary to the public interest and the intent of the Congress.

Regulatory Impact

    This 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. As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act, I 
certify that this rule will not have a significant impact on a 
substantial number of small entities because it affects individual 
researchers. This regulation does not have any federalism implications.

List of Subjects in 36 CFR Part 1253

    Archives and records.

0
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, NARA amends chapter XII of 
title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 1253--LOCATION OF NARA FACILITIES AND HOURS OF USE

0
1. The authority citation for part 1253 continues to read as follows:

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


0
2. Amend Sec.  1253.1 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec.  1253.1  National Archives Building.

    (a) The National Archives Building is located at 700 Pennsylvania 
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20408. Business hours are 8:45 a.m. to 5:15 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays when the building 
is closed. Hours for the Research Center and the Central Research room 
are as follows:
    (1) Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
    (2) Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and
    (3) Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* * * * *

0
3. Amend Sec.  1253.2 by revising paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec.  1253.2  National Archives at College Park.

* * * * *
    (b) Research complex hours are as follows, except Federal holidays:
    (1) Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
    (2) Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and
    (3) Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* * * * *

0
4. Amend Sec.  1253.3 by redesignating paragraphs (g) through (k) as 
paragraphs (h) through (l) respectively, and adding a new paragraph (g) 
to read as follows:


Sec.  1253.3  Presidential Libraries.

* * * * *
    (g) Richard Nixon Library, California is located at 18001 Yorba 
Linda Boulevard, Yorba Linda, CA 92886-3903. The phone number is 714-
983-9120 and the fax number is 714-983-9111. The e-mail address is 
[email protected]. The Richard Nixon Library, Maryland is located at 8601 
Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001. The phone number is 301-837-
3290 and the fax number is 301-837-3202. The e-mail address is 
[email protected].
* * * * *

0
5. Amend Sec.  1253.6 by revising paragraph (i) to read as follows:


Sec.  1253.6  Records Centers.

* * * * *
    (i) NARA--Southwest Region (Fort Worth) is located at 1400 John 
Burgess Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76140. The hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday. The telephone number is 817-551-2000.
* * * * *

    Dated: January 28, 2008.
Allen Weinstein,
Archivist of the United States.
[FR Doc. E8-1947 Filed 1-31-08; 8:45 am]
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