As of Monday, July 20, 2020, the Washington State Archives branches in Olympia and Ellensburg are open to researchers by appointment only. For more information, please visit our page regarding the closure.

NARA Seattle closure information

 

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) facility in Seattle, has been approved for eventual closure and sale. The facility was recommended for sale by the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) and approved for sale by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) through the authorities and process established in the Federal Asset Sales and Transfer Act of 2016, as amended. As of now, a date has not been set for the closure, and the physical holdings — all of which reflect Pacific Northwest history — are tentatively planned to be shipped to Riverside, CA and Kansas City, MO.

On January 27, 2020, Secretary of State Kim Wyman sent a letter to Washington’s Congressional delegation urging lawmakers and OMB find a way to keep the federal archival records in the state. Members of Washington’s Congressional delegation also sent a letter to OMB, asking they disapprove of the board’s recommendation to close the facility.

If you have any comments on this issue, please contact your Congressperson.

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More information may be added to this webpage as it becomes available.

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From the Office of the Secretary of State

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