 Hello, I'm Dr. Colleen Shogun, Archivist of the United States. Welcome to the National Archives and Records Administration's briefing on your records management responsibilities. Like many of you, I am a presidential appointee, and as an appointee and federal employee, there are record management rules that we all need to know and follow. As a federal employee, you have a responsibility to manage the records and information you create. These records are not your personal materials. They are, in fact, the property of the United States government. Many of the records that you create will one day come to the National Archives and be preserved as part of our nation's history. You might be surprised to learn what a federal record is. It starts with anything you create or receive in the course of business. Records can be emails, texts, and chats. Records can be your agency's social media accounts and webpages. Even your calendars can be federal records. And of course, federal records include the documents you create as your agency carries out its mission. Most federal records are created digitally in the first place. NARA supports digital records management as a way to help agencies succeed in their missions with more effective and efficient records management practices. OMB and NARA work together to issue guidance to agencies to support the federal government's modernization efforts. To the greatest extent possible, agencies should be managing their records electronically. I firmly believe in the importance of records management as a fundamental part of government accountability. Good records management programs, practices, and policies implemented today will enable us to tell our nation's history for generations to come. To realize that vision, it is important to follow good records management practices when beginning your federal service. Not only does this preserve and protect your legacy, you will improve your agency's ability to operate efficiently and transparently. Your senior agency official for records management and agency records officer are important contacts who can advise you as you take on your new responsibilities. I encourage you to stop by the National Archives building on Pennsylvania Avenue to see the original Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. These documents are part of our shared history as Americans. Thank you for your service and for doing your part to preserve the important records of your agency and helping us document the national experience.