Register to Attend Virtual Workshop on FOIA and Technology Best Practices for Agencies!

Young Men and Women in a Workshop (NARA ID: 7403517) The Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy (OIP), and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) invite you to a virtual Best Practices Workshop Series on FOIA and technology on Monday April 20, 2020.  The event is open to Federal employees and contractors who … Continue reading Register to Attend Virtual Workshop on FOIA and Technology Best Practices for Agencies!

COVID-19 and FOIA: Observations and Useful Links

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every aspect of life in the United States, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process is no exception. We will be sharing information in the coming weeks about how agencies are responding and providing links to resources that we hope will be useful to you.  Here are some … Continue reading COVID-19 and FOIA: Observations and Useful Links

Setting Expectations in Extraordinary Times

We at the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) hear you loud and clear! The COVID-19 pandemic is challenging FOIA professionals and requesters alike in unprecedented ways. Amid all the uncertainty, one thing is certain: response times are likely to increase. It is more important than ever to keep the lines of communication open. One … Continue reading Setting Expectations in Extraordinary Times

New Technology Committee Members Needed

If you are a government Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) professional with an interest in technology and innovation, we need you! In response to a recommendation from the 2016-2018 term of the FOIA Advisory Committee, the Archivist of the United States proposed that the Chief FOIA Officers (CFO) Council partner with the Chief Information Officer … Continue reading New Technology Committee Members Needed

OGIS Is Open For Business – How to Reach Us

The rapid spread of COVID-19 in the United States is forcing many industries to rethink how they do business, and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) is no exception. In the interest of social distancing, all OGIS staffers are teleworking. While we are pleased that we are able to continue to function as the … Continue reading OGIS Is Open For Business – How to Reach Us

Assessing FOIA Reading Rooms

The following post is written by Meredith Doviak, our National Archives colleague who is helping us assess methods agencies use to prepare documents for posting on agency FOIA reading rooms. In the decades since Congress amended FOIA in 1996 to expand the role of the agency FOIA reading room, the expectations and use of Federal … Continue reading Assessing FOIA Reading Rooms

OGIS Report on Fiscal Year 2019 Now Available

Public spaces at the National Archives are closed, but OGIS is pleased to continue operations online — including publication of our 2020 Annual Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. As OGIS Director Alina Semo notes in her message to readers, despite challenges faced in FY 2019, OGIS managed to reduce our backlog by 50 percent … Continue reading OGIS Report on Fiscal Year 2019 Now Available