 The federal government creates, stores and maintains billions of records on a daily basis. Most people probably know that some of those records will one day become part of the permanent historical collections of the National Archives, detailing the actions and policies of the United States government, preserved right alongside the Charters of Freedom that outline the principles of how we govern this nation. But who decides which of these records are actually worth saving and for how long? Who decides, for example, that we should keep a World War II veteran's service record forever while disposing within three years boxes or hard drives full of supply requests or building maintenance files? Decisions about which records to retain and for how long are captured in a legal document we call a record schedule. Record schedules, signed by the archivist to the United States, authorize agencies to preserve records of historical value or to destroy, after a specified period, records lacking continuing administrative, legal, research or other value. Creating a record schedule takes not only collaboration between NARA and federal agencies, but also requires public review and comment. In this video, we'll demonstrate how you can comment, via regulations.gov, on a proposed record schedule. Public participation is vital to the record scheduling process. Your comments contribute to the final decision about how long records are retained. The process begins when an agency submits a new schedule to the National Archives or requests revisions to an existing schedule. After submission, archivists conduct a thorough review of the draft schedule. They consider how long the records should be retained in support of an agency's mission and help determine whether the records should eventually be permanently retained at the National Archives. Once a draft schedule has been reviewed by NARA archivists, it's ready for that important step. Public comment. Through the Federal Register, the National Archives publishes notices that draft schedules are ready for public comment on regulations.gov. The regulations.gov site allows individuals to review draft schedules and submit specific recommendations for changes. Once the comment period closes, the comments and recommendations are reviewed by the appraisal archivist, who consults with the agency about potential changes. In rare cases, a schedule is returned to the agency without action so that the agency can reconsider its proposal. A final draft of the schedule is reviewed by the Chief Records Officer and other National Archives managers prior to being submitted to the archivist to the United States for approval. The archivist's approval follows a thorough consideration of the record's use by the creating agency, the rights of the government, the rights of people directly affected by the government's activities, and the historical value of the records. The National Archives values public review and comment on agency record schedules through regulations.gov. We'd like to thank you in advance for being an active part of the National Archives' mission and for helping us in our efforts to provide public access to federal government records.