Be more effective in FOI requests by understanding agency constraints
It's important for FOI users to understand officials' perspectives - it explains some of the reasons for denials and some of the animosity that can emerge in the request process. I was reading a year in review in open government laws in Washington state, produced by a law firm that represents cities in public access litigation, and it got me thinking about the need to understand "the other side."
For example, loopholes in the law allow requesters to effectively harass agencies and, at least in Washington state, earn thousands of dollars in punitive fines by playing the system right. Officials tend to focus on how to make requests the least burdensome, especially during these times of budget cuts. That has led to several states proposing laws penalizing "frequent fliers" and requesters who don't pick up their records. These bad apples - who put in requests only to harass - make it more difficult for legitimate requests.
Of course, the slippery slope here is who gets to decide what is legitimate. That's where it gets tricky, and where FOI advocates tend to differ with agency advocates. Government shouldn't be deciding what is a legitimate reason for a request and what is not (yet, despite the law prohibiting such content-based decision-making, it still happens, doesn't it?). But if we all can better understand the issues on both sides I think we're better off in figuring out reasonable solutions.
You can get an idea for how agencies view FOI issues by reading their FOI guides produced by municipal organizations in your state (most states have an association for its cities). Also consider going to a training session for municipal clerks, if they'll let you attend. Or just go to coffee with some clerks and records officers and just listen to what they have to say. This is an effective way of access negotiation, where you acknowledge their concerns (without caving). That simple acknowledgment can make a world of difference, making you more effective in working with agencies and getting the records that you need when you need them.