Making Access Happen – Sunshine Week 2023

FOIA Advisory Committee member Alex Howard and OGIS Director Alina M. Semo at the Department of Justice Office of Information Policy’s Sunshine Week program on Monday, March 13, in Washington, D.C (Photo courtesy of Alex Howard) March 12-18, 2023, is Sunshine Week and the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) and National Archives and Records … Continue reading Making Access Happen – Sunshine Week 2023

Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Michael Heise

Today we present an interview with Michael Heise, Assistant Legal Counsel and FOIA Public Liaison for the FOIA Division in the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and a member of the FOIA Advisory Committee. This is part of a series of posts on the Committee, whose members are … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Michael Heise

Mark Your Calendar For Sunshine Week 2023

Make plans to join us as we kick off Sunshine Week, an annual nationwide celebration of access to public information, with a panel discussion on “Making Access Happen: FOIA at the National Archives” on Monday, March 13, at 1 p.m. ET.  The event will be live-streamed on the National Archives YouTube Channel.    National Archives … Continue reading Mark Your Calendar For Sunshine Week 2023

Call for Nominations: Vacant Non-Government Seat on FOIA Advisory Committee

Colonel (COL) Simmons of the 7th Infantry Division uses field glasses to monitor progress during the joint US Army/Air Force Exercise CALFEX '86 (combined arms live fire exercise). National Archives Identifier 6426854. A resignation from the FOIA Advisory Committee has created a vacancy for which we seek nominations. We are looking for a non-government FOIA expert who has … Continue reading Call for Nominations: Vacant Non-Government Seat on FOIA Advisory Committee

Chief Data Officers Council Meets on Friday, February 10

https://giphy.com/gifs/usnationalarchives-space-nasa-apollo-11-kvl2YhR110qsBrHid2 The Time of Apollo by US National Archives via GIPHY. From National Archives Identifier 649447. The Chief Data Officers (CDO) Council meets publicly on Friday, February 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET to provide updates about its activities and the implementation of the Chief Data Officer role across the government. OGIS Director … Continue reading Chief Data Officers Council Meets on Friday, February 10

FOIA Communication: Keep it Simple!

Dr. Edwin McMillan with mousetrap cigarette lighter atom smasher apparatus (Rube Goldberg inspired). Photograph taken March 21, 1974. XBB743-1774. [Photograph by: Steve Gerber] National Archives Identifier 39146966 Plain language has long been an interest of ours as we have observed that clear, concise and well-organized correspondence smoothes the FOIA process for all. After we put … Continue reading FOIA Communication: Keep it Simple!

Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Luke Nichter

Today we present an interview with Luke Nichter, Professor of History and James H. Cavanaugh Endowed Chair in Presidential Studies at Chapman University and a member of the FOIA Advisory Committee. This is part of a series of posts on the Committee, whose members are FOIA experts from inside and outside of government who are … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Luke Nichter

Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Catrina Pavlik-Keenan

Today we present an interview with Catrina Pavlik-Keenan, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Chief Freedom of Information Act Officer and a member of the FOIA Advisory Committee. This is part of a series of posts on the Committee, whose members are FOIA experts from inside and outside of government who are appointed by the … Continue reading Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Catrina Pavlik-Keenan

New Year, New Public Comments Form

Your Ideas Are Welcomed. War Production Board1942 – 1943. National Archives Identifier 534167 As we begin a new year and say “hello” to 2023, we have news to share: OGIS is excited to announce our new public comments form. This new tool allows the public to submit their comments to the FOIA Advisory Committee, the Chief FOIA … Continue reading New Year, New Public Comments Form

OGIS 2022 Holiday Wish List

Merry Christmas is the greeting from President Harry S. Truman as he sets forth from his home in Independence, Missouri, to deliver Christmas gifts to members of his family who live nearby, December 1945. Accession Number 2013-3621. In this season of giving and receiving, we thought we’d share our OGIS holiday wish list. We have only … Continue reading OGIS 2022 Holiday Wish List