Office of War Information Records

This message is to confirm your request submission to the FOIAonline application: View Request. Request information is as follows: (https://www.foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/submissionDetails?trackingNumber=NARA-NGC-2021-001287&type=request)

* Tracking Number: NARA-NGC-2021-001287
* Requester Name: Erin Marie Miller
* Date Submitted: 08/19/2021
* Request Status: Submitted
* Description:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. All documents and records related to the planning, activities, and closure of the Office of War Information (OWI).

- For clarification about this historical agency, please refer to the following link: https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/208.html#208.1

Because the requested records are very old, it is possible that your agency has processed them before for a previous requester. However, I was unable to locate the records online.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In order to help determine my status to assess fees, you should know that I am a freelance journalist whose work has been published by print and digital news outlets and magazines. You can view my portfolio at www.erinmariemiller.com/journalism.

Because of my status as a news media requester, I request a waiver of all fees.
If a fee waiver is not granted, I am willing to pay up to $25 for the requested information. If the fee for this request exceeds this amount, please notify me in writing prior to beginning work on the request.

Disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the historical operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in my commercial interest.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Erin Marie Miller

Dear Ms. Miller:

Thank you for submitting your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) via the *FOIAonline*
website. We received your request on August 19, 2021. Your request
concerns the Office of War Information, Record Group 208.

Our office uses the *FOIAonline* portal for FOIA and Privacy Act requests
for the National Archives and Records Administration's operational records
(records created by this agency). Because your *FOIAOnline *request is for
records that may be textual archival records (records created by or
originated in a different agency but that may have been transferred to the
legal custody of NARA), we have forwarded it to our *Office of Research
Services, Textual Reference (RR2R)* staff who handle FOIA requests for
textual archival records.

Since *Research Services* does not process FOIA requests through
*FOIAOnline*, we removed your request from the *FOIAOnline* website.
Textual Reference will assign you a new tracking number, and respond
directly to you. In the future, if you need to follow up with that office,
please contact them at the address below, or electronically via email
(email is preferred).

National Archives and Records Administration
Research Services, Textual Reference Branch (RR2RR)
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 2400
College Park, MD 20740

By phone: 301-837-3091
By fax: 301-837-1752
By email: archives2reference@nara.gov

For your reference, a copy of your request is below.

Please visit our website at www.archives.gov/foia for further information
about submitting a FOIA request to NARA. On our main website,
www.archives.gov, you can learn more about the resources we offer to the
public, and you can access our online catalog.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and pursuant to guidance received from the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal
operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work
while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of
our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may
experience a delay in receiving a substantive response to your FOIA
request. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your
understanding and patience.

Sincerely,
Susan Gillett
Government Information Specialist
Office of General Counsel
National Archives and Records Administration
College Park, MD 20740-6001
susan.gillett@nara.gov

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: <admin@foiaonline.gov>
Date: Fri, Aug 20, 2021 at 7:06 AM
Subject: FOIA Request Deletion: NARA-NGC-2021-001287
To: <susan.gillett@nara.gov>

Below is an export of the submitted request information for the FOIA
request NARA-NGC-2021-001287.

- *Name and Address*
- First Name: Erin
- Middle Initial: Marie
- Last Name: Miller
- Organization:
- Mailing Address Location: United States/U.S. Territories
- Address Line 1: MuckRock News DEPT MR 117906
- Address Line 2: 411A Highland Ave
- City: Somerville
- State/Province: MA
- Zip/Postal Code: 02144-2516
- *Contact Information*
- E-mail Address: requests@muckrock.com
- Phone Number:
- Fax Number:
- *Agency and Fee Information*
- Assigned Agency: NGC - Office of General Counsel
- Will Pay Up To: $0.00
- *Description*
- To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the
following records:

1. All documents and records related to the planning, activities, and
closure of the Office of War Information (OWI).

- For clarification about this historical agency, please refer to the
following link:
https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/208.html#208.1

Because the requested records are very old, it is possible that your
agency has processed them before for a previous requester. However, I was
unable to locate the records online.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public,
and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In order to help determine my status to assess fees, you should know
that I am a freelance journalist whose work has been published
by print and
digital news outlets and magazines. You can view my portfolio at
www.erinmariemiller.com/journalism.

Because of my status as a news media requester, I request a waiver of
all fees. If a fee waiver is not granted, I am willing to pay up
to $25 for
the requested information. If the fee for this request exceeds
this amount,
please notify me in writing prior to beginning work on the request.

Disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public
interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public
understanding of the historical operations or activities of the
government
and is not primarily in my commercial interest.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.
I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20
business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Erin Marie Miller
- *Fee Waiver*
- Fee Waiver Requested: Yes
- Fee Waiver Reason: In order to help determine my status to assess
fees, you should know that I am a freelance journalist whose
work has been
published by print and digital news outlets and magazines. You
can view my
portfolio at www.erinmariemiller.com/journalism. Because of my status
as a news media requester, I request a waiver of all fees. If a
fee waiver
is not granted, I am willing to pay up to $25 for the requested
information. If the fee for this request exceeds this amount,
please notify
me in writing prior to beginning work on the request. Disclosure of the
requested information to me is in the public interest because it
is likely
to contribute significantly to public understanding of the historical
operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in my
commercial interest.
- *Expedited Processing*
- Expedited Processing Requested: No
- Expedited Processing Reason:

August 31, 2021

Erin Marie Miller

Dept MR 117906

MuckRock News

411A Highland Avenue

Somerville, ME 02144-2516

Dear Ms. Miller:

This is in response to your Freedom of Information (FOIA) request
(21-52080) concerning records of the Office of War Information (Record
Group 208). We received it in this office on August 10, 2021.

A scan of the finding aid to the records (Preliminary Inventory 56) is
attached.

You can do an advanced search in the National Archives Catalog at
https://catalog.archives.gov/advancedsearch.

We make reasonable efforts to assist researchers with their work. As a
matter of policy, the National Archives is staffed to assist researchers
with their work, including but not limited to pointing researchers to
helpful finding aids to begin their research. However, given the
limitations on staff resources, we do not generally conduct substantive
research in response to requests filed under the Freedom of Information
Act, except in circumstances where documents are easily locatable.

Unfortunately, all NARA Research Rooms were closed effective at the end of
business on March 13, 2020, as a public health precaution due to the
coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Under standard circumstances, we would
welcome you to visit our research room so you or your representative can
examine and select documents relevant to your research. You could also hire
a researcher to conduct research on your behalf. However, visiting is not
an option at this time.

If you are interested in hiring a researcher who works for a fee, see the
list provided as a courtesy at https://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help
on our website.

You asked for a waiver of the fees normally charged for providing
researchers with copies of archival records. The fee and fee waiver
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), however, do not apply
to archival records. The FOIA fee section states that "Nothing in this
subparagraph shall supersede fees chargeable under a statute specifically
providing for setting the level of fees for particular types of records."
[5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(vi)]. Accordingly, the NARA fee statute, 44 U.S.C.
2116(c), and implementing regulations at 36 C.F.R. Part 1258, apply
exclusively to your request, under which the National Archives does not
waive reproduction charges for individual requesters. Our inability to
grant you the requested fee waiver does not constitute a denial for the
purposes of the FOIA.

We do not consider this response a denial under the Freedom of Information
Act because the records are open and available for research and do not
require a FOIA request. However, if you are not satisfied with our action
on this request, your options for appeal and dispute resolution are
outlined in the attachment.

Sincerely,

TAB LEWIS

Textual Reference Operations

National Archives at College Park, Maryland