Do you know about historically or genealogically important public records that have limited public access, or no public access? If so, please take our survey, so we can investigate and update our to-do list.
Do you know about historically or genealogically important public records that have limited public access, or no public access? If so, please take our survey, so we can investigate and update our to-do list.
PLEASE NOTE: Generally speaking, a records index or finding aid is usually much more likely to fall under Freedom of Information Law purview than the actual records or vital records certificates. For example, a limited-information marriage records index may be available under a state’s FOI laws, although the actual marriage certificates or licenses may have strict privacy laws preventing their release.
Adoption records are almost always sealed under strict privacy laws, and state FOI laws can’t override those.
Cemetery records are generally private, as they are owned by the cemetery themselves, and are not governmental records subject to state FOI laws — unless it’s a public city cemetery.
This survey is looking for information about specific genealogical record sets you believe to be wrongly withheld from the public. It’s not for reporting the names of your family members. Reclaim The Records is interested in open records advocacy, not your personal family tree. 🙂
If you want a great example of why "genealogy" records are so useful to data journalism, check out this new feature from the San Francisco Chronicle about the rise and semi-decline of Japantown, which relies on the 1950 US census data, person by person:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2024/sf-japantown-incarceration/
Here’s one: an agency tried charging $200 for a screenshot of a FB page bc they argued it required significant tech knowledgede. We sued. They hired an expert. Lol. They obviously lost big time
But this bill would make it impossible to challenge such nonsense
Lots of issues with the bad OPRA bill, one of which is that a service fee will be “presumed to be reasonable” and thus impossible to challenge. So, weigh in with your absurd service charges here. Agencies will 100% use them to stop access if they know they can’t be challenged
The Assembly hasn’t taken any action on the OPRA bill yet. And it’s looking more and more like any member who votes for it won’t have the Line to protect them from a primary challenger next year…
Meanest April Fools Day prank tweet we saw today
https://twitter.com/SeamusHughes/status/1774979813368795257
The past few weeks have had us split between constant e-mails and Zooms about drafts and strategies in several very active lawsuits -- and also building and debugging code for a new 18 million record mini-site we hope to launch soon, from data that we won in an earlier lawsuit.
*pounds table* ONE OF US! ONE OF US!
https://twitter.com/LizerReal/status/1771978148399198527
🚨 LEGISLATION ALERT: NEW JERSEY ABOUT TO GUT RECORDS ACCESS FOR GENEALOGISTS? 🚨
(and journalists and historians too, but let's just focus on the genealogists here for a minute)
Read all about it in our latest newsletter!
https://mailchi.mp/reclaimtherecords/new-jersey-about-to-gut-records-access-for-genealogists
The @SixthFlrMuseum should not be able to decide who gets a copy of the #ZapruderFilm in the @USNatArchives. The public should have unrestricted access to public records. Thanks for your interest in this case! #FOIA #jfk #zapruder
NEW: Just in time for #SunshineWeek! I'm launching a weekly #FOIA newsletter for @business called FOIA Files where I will challenge govt secrecy & unshroud the documents recalcitrant agencies preferred never saw the light of day.Â
Sign up here: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/foia-files
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Reclaim The Records is an IRS-recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our EIN is 81-4985446. Contact us at [email protected]
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