Office of Information Policy, U.S. Dept. of Justice Issues New Guidance re: Federal Agency FOIA Websites

From the Office of Information Policy, U.S. Department of Justice:

Today, OIP published updated guidance for agency FOIA websites.
This new guidance, Agency FOIA Websites 2.0, encourages agencies to review their FOIA websites to ensure they contain essential resources, and are informative and user-friendly.
[Clip]
The FOIA Websites 2.0 guidance establishes standard minimum requirements for FOIA websites, while recognizing that agencies may organize and style their websites in the way that best serves their mission and community of users. The guidance encourages agencies to include a clear link to their FOIA website on the agency’s main homepage and to ensure their FOIA websites contain key information and resources.
FOIA website content should cover three primary areas: proactive disclosures, instructions for submitting or inquiring about a request, and information about the agency’s administration of the FOIA. For proactive disclosures, the agency’s FOIA website should contain its FOIA Library and links to any component FOIA Libraries.
[Clip]
The new guidance also encourages agencies to adopt consistent styling, use plain language, regularly review their websites for accuracy, and collaborate with others in the agency to identify areas for improvement. By carefully reviewing their websites in light of this guidance, agencies can help the public locate information with greater ease, better understand the FOIA process, and submit requests to the correct place.

Direct to OIP Guidance: Agency FOIA Websites 2.0
 

Filed under: Libraries, News, Patrons and Users