Presentation from the MARAC conference in Morgantown, WV on April 11-13, 2019. S18. BETTER BEGINNINGS, BETTER ENDS: WHAT WE'VE LEARNED BY ENGAGING RECORDS CREATORS As part of the U.S. Navy, the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC)'s mission is to preserve an accurate history of the Navy, including collecting official records. NHHC staff will share how they educate records creators, including naval personnel at all levels, to help them understand what archival value means, what it means for the records they create, how their records might be used once they reach the archives, and how to adapt and apply these concepts to future records transfers. Describing both successes and opportunities for further growth, panelists will discuss bringing traditional archival competencies to their work with record creators and what additional knowledge and skills are useful.