Access attorney named the nation's first federal FOIA ombudsman
Finally, we now have someone who might be able to help access requesters deal with federal agencies.
The National Archives appointed longtime FOIA attorney Miriam Nisbet to be the nation's first official federal FOIA ombudsman. Nisbet has worked as an attorney for access issues for the American Library Association, the National Archives, Department of Justice and UNESCO (see press release by the National Archives). Nisbet is a longtime member of the American Society of Access Professionals and is generally viewed as supportive of citizen access to government records in the U.S. and internationally. This is a good hire.
The new ombudsman position, created through the Open Government Act of 2007, is intended to serve as an intermediary between requesters and agencies. Now she'll have to start hiring her staff and get rolling. This is a great move forward. While ombudsman positions have helped in some states, people seeking federal records have had little help when agencies stonewall. We look forward to seeing this new office help FOIA work a little better.