The Freedom of Information Act, also known as the FOIA, was enacted in 1966 and is the primary means by which the public has access to Federal agency records. All Federal agencies, including NEH, are required to make requested records available unless the records are protected from disclosure by one or more of the nine exemptions and three exclusions of the FOIA. The FOIA only applies to Federal agencies and does not provide access to records held by Congress, the Federal courts, state and local government agencies, or private businesses or individuals.
Many NEH documents are already available through this Web site, so please be sure to check the FOIA Library before submitting a request. If you have reviewed the information on this Web site and are unable to find what you are looking for, you can submit a FOIA request in writing or online. For instructions on how to obtain a record from NEH, go to How to Submit a FOIA Request.
Additional information about NEH’s FOIA program and other FOIA resources can be found by accessing the links below:
- Agency FOIA Contacts
- FOIA Library
- How to submit a FOIA request
- Submit a FOIA request
- NEH FOIA Regulations
- DOJ FOIA Resources
Privacy Act
- Text of the Privacy Act
- DOJ Overview of the Privacy Act
- Citizen's Guide on Using the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act of 1974 to Request Government Records, 2005
- Your Right To Federal Records: Questions and Answers on the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act, 2006 (44-page PDF, includes complete text of the law)