FOIA and Open Government

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests

The District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, DC Code §§ 2-531-539, provides that any person has the right to request access to records. All public bodies of the District government are required to disclose public records, except for those records, or portions of records, that are protected from disclosure by the exemptions found at DC Code § 2-534.

A FOIA request may be made for any public record. This does not mean, however, that the public body will disclose every record sought. Statutory exemptions authorize the withholding of certain public records. When the public body does withhold records or portions of records, it must specify which exemption of the FOIA permits the withholding. FOIA does not require agencies to do research, to analyze data, to answer written questions, or to create records in order to respond to a request. FOIA only requires the agency to make a reasonable effort to locate already existing records.

Submit a FOIA Request in Writing

If the request is written, the request can be sent via email to general.counsel@dc.gov and must have “FOIA Request” in the Subject line.

If the written request is sent by mail, mark the outside of the envelope with "FOIA Request.” Send the request to the FOIA Officer at:

FOIA Officer

DC Public Library

901 G St NW, Suite 403

Washington, DC 20006

Submit a FOIA Request by Phone

You are also able to call the DC Public Library’s General Counsel Office and submit an oral FOIA request. 

The FOIA Officer may request that an oral request be reduced to writing, if the requested records are not customarily made available by the public body.

Telephone: 202-727-1134

Open Government Act 

President Bush signed the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act of 2007 on Dec. 31, 2007. This law, also known as Public Law 110–175 and the "OPEN Government Act of 2007," amended the federal FOIA statute in several ways.

The Open Government Initiative enables D.C. government to be fully transparent. 

DCPL’s Open Government Documents

• FY-14 Agency Open Government Report
• District-wide Annual FOIA Reports 
• Employee Salary Information 
• Administrative Staff Manuals and Instructions
• Policies
• Purchase Card Transactions 
• Budget Information
• Minutes of Library Board of Trustee Meetings
• Staff and Organizational Chart
• Notice of Intent to Award Sole Source Contracts 
• Awarded Sole Source Contracts 
• Determination & Findings for Mandatory Set Aside of Contracts $250,000 or Less 
• Emergency Contracts

FY 2022

• FY2022 Contracts
• FY2022 PO's $10,000 or Less
• FY2022 PO's Over $10,000

FY 2021

• FY2021 Contracts
• FY2021 PO's $10,000 or Less
• FY2021 PO's Over $10,000

FY 2020

• FY2020 Contracts
• FY2020 PO's $10,000 or Less
• FY2020 PO's Over $10,000