Reply #25: Um... did they have their researcher cards? [View All]

[sofa king]

The Constitution Avenue side of the Archives is theoretically open to all, and if someone was barred entry on that side, then it's a big deal.

But the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the Archives, which marchers from Union Station could easily reach by accident, is usually open only to researchers.

That side of the building also requires a larger and different kind of security force, because the documents available for view on that side of the building are far more important than the two dozen or so pieces of paper to which our keepers no longer pay attention.

Edit: the Archives is actually two buildings compressed into one shell. Archivists tell me that the floors don't even match up between the documents side and the Constitution side.