Editor’s Corner

Laura Sare

Howdy everyone,

I have been rewatching the X-Files series (my favorite episodes are the ones by Darin Morgan) and this reminded me of a display I did on government information about UFOs. Many are available due to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. I like to use these sources as a good way to introduce students to FOIA.

Air Force

Report of Air Force Research Regarding the “Roswell Incident” purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS1061

The Roswell Report: Fact versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert

Much discussion on weather balloons.

www.afhra.af.mil/Portals/16/documents/AFD-101201-038.pdf

Unidentified Flying Objects and Air Force Project Blue Book

From 1947 to 1969, the Air Force investigated Unidentified Flying Objects under Project Blue Book. The project, headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, was terminated December 17, 1969. Of a total of 12,618 sightings reported to Project Blue Book, 701 remained “unidentified.”

purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS99199

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Roswell—A one-page teletype dated July 8, 1947, conveyed information originating from the United States Air Force. The details purported that an object, possibly a flying disc, was recovered near Roswell, New Mexico.

purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS98141

Majestic 12. An FBI investigation of a possible unauthorized disclosure of classified information when a document marked “Top Secret” was made public. The investigation was closed after it was learned that the document—concerning UFOs—was completely bogus.

purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS97935

NASA

From NASA’s Ames Research Center—The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, SETI

purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS70491

FOIA Reading Rooms

The Central Intelligence Agency has placed the full texts of recently declassified documents concerning UFO’s on line at the CIA’s UFOs: Fact or Fiction?

www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/collection/ufos-fact-or-fiction

The National Security Agency has placed the full texts of recently declassified documents concerning UFOs online at their UFO Documents Index.

www.nsa.gov/news-features/declassified-documents/ufo/

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has placed the full texts of recently declassified documents concerning UFOs in the “Unexplained Phenomenon” section of the Records Vault.

vault.fbi.gov/unexplained-phenomenon

GAO Report

Government Records: Results of a Search for Records Concerning the 1947 Crash near Roswell, New Mexico. A GAO report to the Honorable Steven H. Schiff, House of Representatives.

purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS20511

CRS Report

The UFO Enigma. Surveys various definitions of UFOs and types of encounters, considers witness credibility factors, and presents selected views on the UFO problem. Reviews UFO accounts in the U.S. and selected foreign countries, and related private and Government activities, 1947-82 with historical trends. Appendixes include selected case summaries and sample Air Force document released through the Freedom of Information Act.

www.nicap.org/docs/TheUFOEnigma.pdf

Hearings

Unidentified Flying Objects. The Committee on Armed Services hearing on UFOs, sightings, and evaluations. Considers sightings of unidentified flying objects, together with U.S. Air Force evaluations of the sightings as part of Project Blue Book.

catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102300346

Symposium on Unidentified Flying Objects. Scientists discuss the probability of sightings validity.

nicap.org/books/1968Sym/1968_UFO_Symposium.pdf

Congressional Record

A lively exchange over funding for SETI has Congressional House members introducing materials about intergalactic frog and tadpole theft on June 28, 1990—starting on page 16135

www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1990-pt11/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1990-pt11-6-1.pdf

Speaking of displays, another good place for display ideas is the Government Document Display Clearinghouse at Minnesota State University: cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/lib-services-govdoc-displays/