Just a couple of years ago, I was pretty darned ignorant on the FOIA. I knew it was there. I had heard it mentioned somewhere along the way, but it had no real meaning for me. As I became interested, I started looking around on the internet. I really do not intend to 'plug' one resource over any others, but The
Virginia Coalition for Open Government website and the help they provided via email and telephone, those have been the best resources for me.
The Coalition for Open Government is a non-profit agency dedicated to keeping government 'openness' growing. They do not sit back and assume that what is available is enough. They work to expand the parameters of openness, while simultaneously helping to empower citizens in making the current law work for them. They are also a 501c3 organization so any donations made are tax deductible.
If you have never made a FOIA request before, and would like someone to help you through the process, you will find all the resources that you need right here at the
Virginia Coalition for Open Government website.
Rather than recreate the wheel, you can use their
frequently asked questions (faq) section for some explainations and definitions in plain English (very little 'legalize' is used). On the
page with the FOIA itself, there is even a copy of the form for carrying your request on to district court if need be (directions for filling it out are also there).
The
FOI Citizen's Guide is where I really got my start. This document pretty well takes you through the process of learning what your rights are under the FOIA. Basically, it provides information on what it is you are entitled to and how/when the government agency is required to respond. It also provides information on what your rights are as pertains to public meetings.
One of the links on their pages will take you to their bank of newsletters. You can find a lot of information. They work hard to provide you with information concerning recent FOIA related events, evaluations of the FOIA process, bills that may be coming up concerning FOIA, FOIA bills in the legislature, and some of the not-so-good things that have happened relative to FOIA.