The Moving Image and Sound Branch at the National Archives at College Park, MD is pleased to offer research services for the records in our holdings. Please note that operations are subject to change based on local health metrics. Any travel plans are the sole responsibility of the researcher; facility access and restrictions may change with short notice.

Research visits are by appointment only and are scheduled up to three months in advance. New weekly appointment blocks open each Monday. The Research Room is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

All researchers must register for a NARA Researcher Card. This process consists of two parts, including completing the Online Researcher Orientation and Online Kiosk Registration.

All researchers are required to comply with agency health and safety guidance. For more details on the attestation and testing procedure, see NARA Research Room FAQ #6. Please also review NARA FAQs number 11 to 15 for additional Health and Safety requirements.

Researchers are strongly encouraged to inquire about the availability of reference copies for records of interest BEFORE scheduling a research appointment. Please submit requests for no more than fifteen titles to mopix@nara.gov and reference staff will reply within ten business days.

On-site consultation services are available during your visit. To request a virtual consultation, please email consultation.mopix@nara.gov

Staff will be available in the room to assist with playback equipment, and we require researchers to maintain six foot distancing at these times. If your visit will include viewing reference copies on film, please complete the training module National Archives: Using Film in the Moving Image and Sound Research Room to familiarize yourself with the equipment and potential issues that may arise. The slides may also be saved as a PDF to your device for future reference if desirable.

For more information about conducting research at the National Archives at College Park (Archives 2), please visit https://www.archives.gov/college-park and https://www.archives.gov/research/motion-pictures