 You've determined your research topic and gathered information, but are you ready to visit a National Archives facility to conduct your research in person? In this video, we'll describe the two steps every researcher at the National Archives should take to ensure success before you arrive. First, search the National Archives catalog, and second, contact the National Archives reference staff before your visit. First search the National Archives catalog. You can use the catalog to search for your topic and related keywords. If you're having trouble finding relevant results, try narrowing your search with the refine options on the left side of the screen, or by conducting an advanced search. If you have any questions about how to use the catalog, please contact us at catalogatnara.gov. We're here to help you navigate. When you find records of interest, note the National Archives identifier or NADE of the records. This will come in handy in the next step when you contact us. You also want to note any identifier numbers found in the Variant Control Numbers section of the catalog description. These could be HMS or entry numbers, search identifier numbers, and local identifier numbers. This identifying information will help the reference staff locate the records you are interested in seeing and can speed up retrieval. If you're interested in coming to a National Archives facility to view the records in person, first confirm their location in the contact section. This is the physical location of the records. We have National Archives facilities all over the United States, and you'll want to make sure you're coming to the proper location. You'll also want to confirm their availability by checking the access and use restrictions in the details section of the catalog description. This will tell you if the records are unrestricted or if they cannot be accessed because they are classified. If records are listed as unrestricted, you should be able to view the records in person. If records are listed as restricted possibly, restricted partly, or restricted fully, then you may be unable to view them in person. Regardless of the access restrictions, please contact the reference unit listed in the catalog description before your visit. This will give the reference staff enough time to do appropriate investigation and preparation. If you have specific questions about the records you found in the catalog, I encourage you to contact the office listed in the contact section of the description. You can email, call, or write to the reference staff for answers to your questions. When contacting the reference staff, please allow three weeks for a response. Reference staff will be able to confirm the availability of records and possibly prepare them for your visit if available for research. Please provide the identifier numbers you recorded from your catalog searches. But please note, not all facilities will prepare records in advance of your visit. We encourage you to contact us. If you know which facility holds the records you would like to see, you can contact the facility directly. A list of locations with contact information can be found on our website at archives.gov slash locations. This page will show the accessibility, hours, directions, and details of our nationwide network of facilities. If you're unsure of which facility might hold records relevant to your interest, use the general contact us form. It's possible the records you seek haven't been described yet or weren't described in a way that corresponds to the keywords you entered in your search. A reference archivist will be able to help you further. We know in-person visits often involve time and money, so we want to help ensure your visit is as successful and productive as possible. We wish you the best of luck with your research.