National Archives Releases New JFK Records

Last week there was a surge of excitement surrounding the National Archives’ release of new government records concerning the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK). We thought this might be a good opportunity to join our colleagues in celebrating the release of this new historical material, and explain how the release of these records … Continue reading National Archives Releases New JFK Records

Mark Your Calendar for Our Upcoming Events!

As you all begin to fill out your new 2017 calendars, we want to take a few moments to make sure you know about some special events we have planned in the coming months. Please take a moment to write down these dates, and we hope to see you there! Thursday, January 26 – As … Continue reading Mark Your Calendar for Our Upcoming Events!

Q&A with OGIS’s New Director, Alina M. Semo

1)     Please tell us a little about yourself. I am the product of parents who emigrated to the United States to avoid continued religious, artistic and professional persecution at the hands of the Communist Romanian regime.  In direct and indirect ways, the influences of my father, who made his living in classical music as a … Continue reading Q&A with OGIS’s New Director, Alina M. Semo

OGIS Celebrates Sunshine Week 2016

We hope you are all having a great Sunshine Week! We are only halfway through the week, but already we have so much news to share. Our Sunshine Week celebration started the week prior with a message from Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero to all of the National Archives staff reminding them … Continue reading OGIS Celebrates Sunshine Week 2016

Smart Solutions to FOIA Problems

We have learned through both our mediation services and agency assessment programs that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to administering a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program. Agencies process different kinds of requests for vastly different records, and each agency faces its own challenges. For this reason, a practice that works for a small independent … Continue reading Smart Solutions to FOIA Problems

Archivist Appoints New OGIS Director

Archivist of the United States David Ferriero announced the appointment of James Holzer as the Director of the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) on July 21, 2015, effective August 9. We hope all of you will join us in welcoming Dr. Holzer to the OGIS staff! Dr. Holzer comes to OGIS from the Department … Continue reading Archivist Appoints New OGIS Director

What the Government’s Alphabet Soup Means for You

There are few things in the federal government that do not go by a three letter acronym—or, in government-speak, a TLA. As we at OGIS (that’s the Office of Government Information Services!)  are keenly aware, though, government acronyms are not limited to three letters—and they can refer to a  wide variety of things. One acronym that … Continue reading What the Government’s Alphabet Soup Means for You

Advisory Committee Meeting Set for April 21: Reserve Your Seat Now!

It’s time for another meeting of the federal FOIA Advisory Committee! Be sure to reserve your seat now for our Tuesday April 21 meeting from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Archivist’s Reception Room at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC. Similar to our last few meetings, the Committee’s subcommittees will … Continue reading Advisory Committee Meeting Set for April 21: Reserve Your Seat Now!

OGIS Launches First Agency Assessment

We’re pleased to announce completion of our first assessment of an agency FOIA program, officially launching the expansion of our review program and helping us better fulfill our statutory mandate to review agency FOIA policies, procedures and compliance. 5 U.S.C. §§ 552 (h)(2)(A) and (B). The National Archives and Records Administration’s own Office of General … Continue reading OGIS Launches First Agency Assessment

October 21 FOIA Advisory Committee to be live streamed!

The National Archives will host—and live stream—its second Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. The Committee will discuss the FOIA issues on which it has agreed to focus: FOIA oversight and accountability, proactive disclosures, and FOIA fees. Due to space limitations and access procedures, advance registration is required. … Continue reading October 21 FOIA Advisory Committee to be live streamed!