Halt Transfer of Museum Control at the George W. Bush Presidential Library from NARA to the George W. Bush Foundation

What a disgracefully bad and embarrassing decision it would be to give the Bushs this control.

As an archivist, I do not support the decision for the Bush Foundation to have any control over federal records from the Bush administration. Given the controversial nature of George W. Bush's presidency, I fear leaving such records in the control of his private foundation will result in whitewashing his administration's failures and unpopular policies. The historical record should reflect the truth, not a biased argument in favor of President Bush.

Associate Professor of American Studies Co-Director, Museum Scholarship and Material Culture Graduate Certificate Program University of Maryland

Keep museums non-partisan.

I spent nearly 40 years at NARA, many in Presidential Libraries. From 1996-2011 , I was Deputy Assistant Archivist for and then Assistant Archivist for Presidential Libraries. The Foundations build the Libraries but our oversight is critical to a more balanced portrayal of each Presidency. The passage of time brings even more perspective that I cannot imagine happening with this transfer. This transfer of control of the content and historical interpretation to a private, biased entity would not happen in the Smithsonian, the National Park Service, or the Library of Congress. It should not be happening in the National Archives.

It would invite bias into the administration of this Federal organization if it is managed by the foundation that has as its mission to maintain the image of the Bush legacy.

Assistant Professor of Archives and Digital Curation Center for Archival Futures College of Information Studies (iSchool) University of Maryland, College Park

Dr Victoria Van Hyning Assistant Professor of Library Innovation University of Maryland, College Park College of Information Studies