RTR started with one frustrated genealogist. We filed our first FOIL request in January 2015, as our New Year's Resolution that year!
That turned into our first law suit in late 2015. We won a settlement and all the records.
And we got hooked. #genchat
@_genchat How many of you are there? Is it your day job or do you volunteer? Are you all located together or dispersed across the US. How did you find each and get started? Sorry I’m fascinated 😉 #genchat
The Records Public Access Committee (RPAC) is one way to hear about goings-on in the US and to some extent other countries. They have an e-mail list to which you can subscribe, to get updates on records access issues. #genchat
Q5 #genchat What are some ways we can stay apprised of records access issues?
@_genchat A4: I would say that it increased the speed and urgency for records to be released since people couldn't GO to the library for the longest time. #genchat
@_genchat Yes, actually. It has driven home the issues of fair and equitable public access, about the ridiculous requirements of travel and even physical mobility for records, which could just as easily be open to everyone on a computer screen, from their homes. As they should be. #genchat
It's helped us at RTR make the argument in our court briefs that it's inexcusable for certain archives to have digitized files and then NOT put them online, thereby limiting public access to records while the archive buildings were closed. #genchat
Q4 #genchat How has the pandemic impacted ease of record access?
#Genealogy Agree because our taxes paid in the first place! #GenChat https://twitter.com/ReclaimTheRecs/status/1522766000147603458
None of it should go behind a paywall.
Public data should be free. All of it. And we're working to make that happen.
Next question.
#genchat
https://twitter.com/_genchat/status/1522764844881035264
None of it should go behind a paywall.
Public data should be free. All of it. And we're working to make that happen.
Next question.
#genchat
Q3 #genchat How can we distinguish what can/should go behind a paywall & what should not?
Yes! Some State Archives have been fantastic to work with. They know their state Freedom of Information laws, and they follow them.
Some stand-outs who get 🏆 include the Washington State Archives, the Wyoming State Archives, New Jersey, and...
#genchat
Q2 #genchat Do you know of any agencies that have worked with RTR to make their records publicly accessible?
Every time we reclaim new data (whether they're images or occasionally databases/spreadsheets) from a government agency, we upload them to @internetarchive, as our giant free hard drive in the sky. Then we link to the collection from our website. #genchat
ICEBREAKER #genchat Was any of your research facilitated by Reclaim the Records (RTR) efforts?
#GenChat I need to get back to the NYC Geographic Birth Index and cross-check the street addresses against all the NYC certificates I've downloaded. https://archive.org/details/nycgeobirthindex
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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