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. 🙂
This thread… power to the people. 🤗
Love it when our government gaslights us. It's great here, we're all great, thanks.
(We're on YEAR FOUR of waiting for this very agency, @USNatArchives to respond to two FOIA requests. Tweets like this aren't informative, they're functionally lies.)
https://twitter.com/FOIA_Ombuds/status/1786377669371703467
Hit the genealogy jackpot 👍.
We finally found the British war baby of a Canadian soldier killed in Italy in 1944. The soldier’s brother’s descendants discovered his letters, photos, memorabilia. Then reached out for help to return soldier’s legacy to his daughter after 80yrs.
Found on OPRAmachine. I guess we know why @SenatorLorettaW's OPRA/OPMA bills never even got a hearing in 2021.
(And also why they want to amend OPRA to make sure that sites like OPRAmachine can't exist anymore).
Thrilled to see the ~70% of NYC vital records that have been digitized by the city are now finally showing up on other websites, too.
But even more thrilled that those websites correctly understand that NO ONE needs @nycrecords' "permission" to do it. 😁
https://blog.myheritage.com/2024/05/myheritage-releases-new-york-city-birth-marriage-and-death-record-collections/
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
2 months ago
4 months ago
4 months ago
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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