About OpenRecords Desk
OpenRecords Desk is an independent, noncommercial public-interest project built to support government transparency, accountability, and meaningful access to public records.
It started from a simple idea: exercising the public’s right to know should not require complicated spreadsheets, scattered emails, folders full of documents, and an extraordinary amount of effort just to keep track of what was requested, when an agency responded, and what happened next.
OpenRecords Desk provides tools for organizing that process in one place.
Why OpenRecords Desk Exists
Freedom of information and public records laws exist because government records belong to the public unless the law provides a legitimate reason for withholding them.
But obtaining those records is not always simple.
A single public records matter can involve the original request, acknowledgment letters, extensions, partial productions, exemptions, denials, correspondence, responsive documents, follow-up requests, legal research, and sometimes administrative review.
OpenRecords Desk was created to make that process easier to organize and understand.
Built for Transparency
The purpose of OpenRecords Desk is to advance legitimate public-interest use of public records laws.
That includes work involving:
- government transparency and accountability;
- Freedom of Information Act and public records requests;
- civic engagement and public oversight;
- journalism and public-interest investigation;
- academic and independent research;
- review of government policies, practices, and decision-making;
- understanding how public agencies operate; and
- preserving and organizing records obtained from government.
Public records laws are an important part of democratic oversight. OpenRecords Desk is intended to make those laws more practical and accessible to ordinary people.
What OpenRecords Desk Does
OpenRecords Desk is being developed as a workspace for managing the lifecycle of public records matters.
Its tools can help users:
- create and organize records requests;
- track requests and agency responses;
- maintain correspondence and responsive documents;
- organize related requests;
- document denials, partial responses, and other dispositions;
- manage Illinois Public Access Counselor review matters;
- connect multiple records requests to a single PAC review;
- maintain PAC correspondence, events, documents, and determinations;
- organize legal authorities and research; and
- maintain a documented history of a public records matter from beginning to end.
An Independent Project
OpenRecords Desk is not a company, law firm, government agency, or commercial records-request service.
It is an independent project created by an individual who believes that public access to government information matters and that useful transparency tools should be available to the public.
The project is operated from Illinois and has a particular interest in the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor process, although the broader principles behind the project are not limited to Illinois.
Not Affiliated With Government
OpenRecords Desk is independent of government.
It is not affiliated with, operated by, sponsored by, or endorsed by the State of Illinois, the Illinois Attorney General, the Public Access Counselor, or any federal, state, county, municipal, law-enforcement, or other governmental agency.
Government agencies, statutes, court decisions, PAC opinions, and other public authorities may be referenced throughout the site because they are relevant to public records research and transparency work.
Public Records Are for the Public
Transparency serves an important public purpose.
Public records can help people understand how government decisions are made, how public money is spent, how laws and policies are implemented, and whether government institutions are fulfilling their responsibilities.
OpenRecords Desk is based on the principle that lawful access to public information strengthens public oversight and informed civic participation.
Transparency Without Abuse
Supporting transparency does not mean supporting misuse.
OpenRecords Desk is intended for legitimate public-interest activities. It is not intended to facilitate harassment, stalking, intimidation, threats, fraud, identity theft, unlawful targeting of individuals, attacks on government systems, or other abusive or unlawful conduct.
The fact that information is contained in a public record does not eliminate the responsibility to use that information lawfully and responsibly.
The project’s commitment to transparency and its opposition to abusive use are complementary principles.
A Project Under Active Development
OpenRecords Desk is actively being developed and improved.
Features may change as the project grows, as practical experience identifies better approaches, and as public records laws and government practices evolve.
The goal is not to build unnecessary complexity. The goal is to create practical tools that help people document, organize, research, and understand public records matters.
Legal Information
OpenRecords Desk provides organizational, informational, and research tools. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Please review the site’s Terms of Use & Disclaimer and Privacy Policy for additional information about use of the service.
Contact
Questions, comments, corrections, or feedback about OpenRecords Desk are welcome.
Email: soxside@gmail.com
OpenRecords Desk
Illinois, United States
Independent. Noncommercial. Built in the public interest.