Alex Calzareth

Reclaim The Records We’re Reclaim The Records, a new not-for-profit activist group of genealogists, historians, researchers, and open government advocates. We identify important genealogical records sets that ought to be...

What's a #FOIA Appeal? What's some good language to use when you want to argue with the government about why they should be giving you the file you asked for, instead of some "genealogy letter"?

We got you covered, fam. Check out our advice in our latest newsletter:
mailchi.mp/reclaimthere...

This is New York State law, although some clerks within NY charge only $10 for everyone. The genealogy fee is a $20 search fee and $2 copy fee, but even with the exact information you have to pay the $22.

Reclaim The Records We’re Reclaim The Records, a new not-for-profit activist group of genealogists, historians, researchers, and open government advocates. We identify important genealogical records sets that ought to be...

NEW: We just published 1.5 million NEW BIRLS records for 2020-2023, ALL FREE -- but now the VA doesn't want you to see any of them!

Read all about it in our latest newsletter:
mailchi.mp/reclaimthere...

Yes, apparently the staff cuts coupled with almost 20,000 requests led them to try to restrict access. As you see it will probably be a bit of a fight, but we’ll see what we can do

Interestingly, while VA hospitals are covered by HIPAA, the VBA that has these records is not: www.va.gov/OGC/docs/200...

Search the BIRLS Database - over 18 million records about deceased US veterans, from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, now online and FREE from Reclaim The Records Search the BIRLS Database - over 18 million records about deceased US veterans, from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, now online and FREE from Reclaim The Records

Very frustrating. We were getting full files for a year or two and now this as of late July. We at Reclaim The Records put together an update: www.birls.org/updates

I heard there was a secret “b”
Toward the end of “blueberry”
But you don’t really care for AI, do you?

It went like this — the first, the fifth,
The secret “b” in the seventh
The baffled bot composing “bluebebry.”

Bluebebry
Bluebebry
Bluebebry
Bluebebry

Search the BIRLS Database - over 18 million records about deceased US veterans, from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, now online and FREE from Reclaim The Records Search the BIRLS Database - over 18 million records about deceased US veterans, from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, now online and FREE from Reclaim The Records

In December, RTR launched BIRLS.org along with a very easy way to make FOIA requests for deceased veterans' claim files. As of late July, the VA will no longer release these great files, only short summaries. See www.birls.org/updates - RTR is working on learning more & fighting these changes.

🚨🚨🚨NEW AD🚨🚨🚨

a cartoon drawing of a man wearing a shirt that says law . ALT: a cartoon drawing of a man wearing a shirt that says law .

OUR BILL PASSED the New York State Assembly yesterday -- UNANIMOUSLY! 🤩

It's still not a done deal yet. It has to go to the governor, and be signed, and not have last-minute line-item edits or a veto.

But we are now SO much closer to reforming New York's vital records access!

The FULL New York State Death Index, 1880-2017 - Reclaim The Records

You guys...? We did it. 🥰

We won the FULL NEW YORK STATE DEATH INDEX FOR 1880-2017!

We beat the largest government agency in the state of New York (@nysdoh.bsky.social), in the highest court of the state, through a Freedom of Information Law (#FOIL) suit.
www.reclaimtherecords.org/records-requ...

30 years ago

This is a symptom of a bigger problem that extends beyond immigration into pretty much every type of civil litigation against the feds.

Almost every time you get a declaration in a case from a fed, it's from someone who has NO personal knowledge of the facts they're testifying about.

Reclaim The Records We’re Reclaim The Records, a new not-for-profit activist group of genealogists, historians, researchers, and open government advocates. We identify important genealogical records sets that ought to be...

🚨 Reclaim The Records is working on A BRAND NEW LAW in the New York State Legislature! 🚨

We want to finally FIX New York State historical records access, and put it all online for everyone!

And we need your help!

Read our latest newsletter:
mailchi.mp/reclaimthere...

Screenshot showing burial details of Mary Emmett

Screenshot showing burial details of Morris Budofsky

There's a Mary Emmett who died on 21 August 1964 buried in the "Choniker" Independent Aid Association at Montefiore Cemetery in Queens. There's also a Morris Budofsky in the same section, who died in July 1967.

What is the relationship between Congress and records preservation and access? Spoiler alert: funding! Join us on Sunday 2 March to understand more and learn how your voice can make a difference. Event is open to all, but registration is required.

fundNARA.com - Congress must fund the National Archives at the current level! The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provides core government functions necessary to preserve, protect, and make accessible records from all three branches of the federal government...

Are you a journalist, genealogist or historian who has ever used records from the National Archives? It's time to step up and take some simple steps to preserve federal records. And save our nation's history. Please visit this website. And share widely.
fundnara.com

National Archives head resigns as Trump takes control of records Sources name conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt and far-right journalist John Solomon as potential replacements.

The acting head of the National Achives is stepping down, a week after his boss was fired, as Trump takes full control of US records. What could go wrong? www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

We need to talk about the Federal Records Act. Everything else is a distraction.

The recording is now online at jgsli.org/new-york-sta...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: JGSLI Special Meeting: NYS Vital Records Access. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. The FY2026 New York State budget proposes to severely limit access to historical New York State vital records and to greatly increase the cost of the records that remain available. Join JGSLI members,...

TONIGHT: (Thursday Feb 6th, 5 PM ET):
Meeting/Panel via Zoom, about New York State Vital Records Access!

RTR board members Alex Calzareth and Alec Ferretti will discuss the access changes proposed in the FY 2025-2026 budget. Free and open to everyone! Register here:
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Reclaim The Records We’re Reclaim The Records, a new not-for-profit activist group of genealogists, historians, researchers, and open government advocates. We identify important genealogical records sets that ought to be...

URGENT: New York Wants to Lock Up Vital Records — Again! 😫

A backdoor proposal to essentially ban public access to birth, marriage, and death records got snuck into their annual budget bill?!

And we have FIVE DAYS to do something about it?!

Here's how we can stop it:
mailchi.mp/reclaimthere...

Fried Family of Gablonz and Jablonec including Friedrich Fried, Mizzi (Marie) Weil and Fred Weil, with photograph of Friedrich and Mizzi and a note that no known photograph of Fred exists. Friedrich died in the Theresienstadt Ghetto in 1942, Mizzi and Fred likely in Auschwitz in October 1944.

Photographs of Julius Baer and his son Kurt. Boxes with the following information: Julius died in Gurs in December 1940, Kurt in Mauthausen in October 1941, Karola Münzer née Baer and her two children, Wolfgang and Gad at Auschwitz in January 1943.

3 boxes each with a photograph and biographical text summarized: Hedwig Krieger, born 1890 in Weingarten, Inge Brückner born 1921 in Munich and Walter Brückner born 1926 in Munich, all killed at the Ninth Fort near Kaunas, Lithuania on 25 November 1941.

3 Boxes each with a photograph of a Löwenstein brother and his wife, who all lived in Weingarten, Baden. Jakob, born 1876 and his wife Helene née Baer, born 1881 in Untergrombach, Moritz, born 1880 and his wife, Hilda nee Fuchs, born 1888 and Julius, born 1883 and his wife Betty née Löb, born 1886. All were killed at Auschwitz in mid-August 1942.

Today on International Holocaust Remembrance Day I'm remembering my great-great-grandfather, Friedrich Fried, and my maternal grandparents' aunts, uncles and cousins along with another 400+ relatives of varying degrees in my extended family tree who were all killed in the Holocaust.

FamilySearch.org Discover your family history. Explore the world’s largest collection of free family trees, genealogy records and resources.

The 1963 "Directory of Courts Having Jurisdiction in Naturalization Proceedings" www.familysearch.org/search/film/... is a good place to start. It shows that Northampton County Common Pleas Court did naturalization proceedings, even in 1963. The records are not online. Try norcopa.gov/prothonotary

Which county/state did these ancestors live in when they naturalized? The records may only be at the county and not on Ancestry or FamilySearch. If you've searched the county and nearby federal courts and aren't finding anything you can also do an index search through the USCIS genealogy program.

A duplicate copy of the certificate is held in the C-File for mid-1906 to March 31, 1956 naturalizations. Digitized microfilm through mid-1940s, paper then until Mar. 1956. You can use the Certificate number on the back of the petition to request through "record request" at genealogy.uscis.dhs.gov#/

The National Archives Needs Trump’s Support But the Agency Has a Target on Its Back The National Archives painted a dire picture for the future of America’s historical records, according to documents FOIA Files obtained. The agency, which sparked one of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s c...

NEW FOIA Files is out!

The National Archives painted a dire picture for the future of America’s historical records, docs I obtained show. NARA, which sparked one of the criminal investigations against Trump, now needs his help. But it has a huge target on its back
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

Great! They're able to solve this particular issue quickly, this will either come certified USPS or may come via UPS, and hopefully they use one of their sturdier outer envelopes.

That’s very frustrating. Try emailing FOIA.VBASTL@va.gov with the veteran’s information/copy of the request and they can send you a new copy of the DVD. If you don’t hear back in a week or so let me know. (I’ve had to do this when my requests got lost in the ether.)

Anyone with even a passing interest in #genealogy will be extremely well-served by checking out the new database over at @reclaimtherecords.org - they have made it exceptionally easy for *anyone* to *very easily* FOIA certain US Veteran records from the VA.