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The National Archives and Records Administration launches an Online Public Access prototype today, making available to the public millions of digitized government records. The effort is part of the National Archives' plan to provide better online services and better access to historical government documents.

The Online Public Access prototype provides access to and information about the National Archives' records. It is a centralized mean to search and display information from multiple National Archives resources. "People have asked us for a Google-like search," says the National Archives' Pam Wright, "which I think this really provides."

Much of the Internet buzz surrounding today's midterm elections in the U.S. revolves around voter participation and how social media may or may not impact turnout.

But the increasing use of Web 2.0 and social media tools also impacts politicians and government employees as well. Many federal agencies have worked to encourage public participation and transparency with these new communication tools. But for one of the federal agency in particular, the rise of new forms of communications has other implications: Are all these new Facebook posts, YouTube videos, and tweets federal records?

Cloud computing might strike fear in the hearts of some, but at least your employees can't walk off with your hard drives. Since May, the National Archives and Records Administration has offered a $50,000 reward for a missing Clinton-era hard drive.

As of Sunday, it's been revealed that thousands of electronic devices containing sensitive and historically important data are missing from the nation's most important public repository. While IT tends to have a knee-jerk reaction in favor of traditional data centers, the situation at the National Archives shows the sense of false security they impart.