WASHINGTON-
If the people can't come to the National Archives, the National Archives will come to the people.
While repairs continue from last week's flooding in the basement, officials have set up a tent in front of the visitor's entrance, offering information about the Archives and items from the gift shop.
The Archives will remain closed through Tuesday, while damage to the building's mechanical equipment and a theater are repaired. None of the nation's historic documents or other items in its collection is damaged or in danger, officials have said.
The Archives usually gets more than 100 visitors an hour this time of year, said tour director Marvin Pinkert. But news of the closure slowed the pace considerably after that.
Pinkert decided that the next best thing to showing people the Declaration of Independence and Constitution is a laminated facsimile. Staff members also tell stories and answer questions from would-be visitors.
The Archives' education center was supposed to open last weekend, but that, too, was delayed by the flooding, said Missy McNatt, the director of the new division.
Although many visitors and researchers are disappointed that they can't see many of the nation's treasures for real, the staff's enthusiasm remains high, she said.
"People are happy with the effort," McNatt said, after giving an abbreviated version of the archives tour to more than a dozen families.
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