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What You Will Find in the FOIA Reading Rooms
Under subsection (a)(2) of the FOIA, agencies must make four distinct categories of records affirmatively available
for “public inspection and copying.” These so-called “reading room” records consist of: (1) “final opinions [and] . . .
orders” rendered in the adjudication of administrative cases; (2) specific agency policy statements; (3) certain
administrative staff manuals; and, (4) as of March 31, 1997, records disclosed in response to a FOIA request that “the
agency determines have become or are likely to become the subject of subsequent requests for substantially the same
records.” For any “reading room” record created by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on or after November 1, 1996,
the FOIA now requires that it be made available electronically as well as in paper format. DOJ accomplishes this
electronic availability through this FOIA website. DOJ components also maintain conventional reading rooms, where
paper copies of all subsection (a)(2) documents are available for inspection and copying. The location of each
component’s conventional reading room is indicated on its FOIA page. It should be noted that not all components will
create records in each “reading room” category. Also, while the FOIA requires that DOJ make only the above four
categories of records available in its reading rooms, each component may at its discretion include other types of records.
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About DOJ