Open Government Coalition Training Sessions Scheduled on “Digging Into D.C.”

Fritz Mulhauser | May 22, 2023

Have questions about how to get records from the D.C. government? Getting into public meetings you thought were supposed to be open?

Join the D.C. Open Government Coalition, a group of volunteer watchdogs, for “Digging into D.C.,” a series of community conversations on finding D.C. government information via records and meetings.

In collaboration with the D.C. Public Library, the Coalition will offer tips about obtaining information from our city government, and how to keep at it through delay or complications.

The first session will be on any topics that may be of interest (education, health, police, etc.) but all will focus on two key sources: public documents and meetings. Expert speakers will offer tips such as:

• Finding the right place to submit records requests (or meetings to attend),
• Submitting a request in a way that gets a useful response the first time,
• What to do about delays, denials, and fees.

Staff from the D.C. Office of Open Government will be there to explain their work that may assist in your quest.

Independent experts knowledgeable in open government will be on hand to discuss individual questions.

When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, Room 401-E

“Digging into D.C.” sessions are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

E-mail info@dcogc.org for more information. (See the video here for an earlier Zoom event in the series.) 

The sessions move to branch libraries later in the year:

Ward 2

When: Wednesday, July 12, 2023 — 6 p.m.

Where: Watha T. Daniel Neighborhood Library, 1630 Seventh St. NW, Room 1 (focus on digging into DCPS and public charter schools’ information)

Ward 8

When: Saturday, September 30, 2023 — 11 a.m.

Where: Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Road SE, Ora Glover Meeting Room (focus on digging into police information)