We were awarded an in-kind grant from Google to run $10,000 worth of ads per month on their search results pages, to promote our website and our mission to bring public records back to the public. We're going to have a lot of fun with this.

Amazing resource!! Thank you RtR!

YOU GUYS! IT'S FINALLY ONLINE! IT'S TOTALLY FREE! IT'S THE NEW YORK STATE DEATH INDEX, 1880-2017! https://t.co/RdpU3mKjGQ

For 'Giving Tuesday' we're giving YOU GUYS a gift: IT'S THE NEW YORK STATE DEATH INDEX, 1880-2017! Ten and a half million records, now finally free and online and very very searchable! -

For Giving Tuesday *YOU* got a gift: THE NEW YORK STATE DEATH INDEX, 1880-2017 - FREE! -

What's a #FOIA Appeal? What's some good language to use when you want to argue with the government about why they should be giving you the file you asked for, instead of some "genealogy letter"? We got you. Check out our advice in our latest newsletter: https://t.co/8d64ejousl

✊ Always Appeal! ✊ Did the VA refuse to send you a full copy of a C-File (claims file) that you requested under #FOIA for a deceased veteran? Well, we now have some attorney-approved sample texts you can use to fight back! Check out https://t.co/xYYByulib1 for the latest!

Always Appeal! Here's what to do if the VA won't give you a C-File from BIRLS -

We just published 1.5 million NEW BIRLS records for 2020-2023, ALL FREE -- but now the VA doesn't want you to see any of them! -

BTW, we wrote the custom software seen here processing the state gazetteer. And we plan to open source it GPLv3! In case any of you also want to geocode enormous data sets of locations, some of which are tiny hamlets, possibly w/ spelling mistakes, maybe no longer extant. Fun!

First we fight and win a four year public records lawsuit, but *then* we really get to work making the data free and usable... *cracks knuckles, goes back to coding*

A HINT for our long-time fans: Did you know that some states keep the ONLY copy of their official data in FoxPro, a database system that has been defunct for DECADES? And when the clerk who knew how to use it retired, the state pretended no more data could be exported from it? 🙃

We just got notice that a Freedom of Information request we made for a certain state's vital records index in August 2020, heard as a contested case in August 2021, was finally decided in our favor... That's nearly five years. FIVE YEARS! 😤 But we won. New data coming soon. 😊

Missed our Irish genealogy news round-up last month? The 1926 census will go online 18 Apr 2026. New records have been added by Ireland Genealogy Projects, Registry of Deeds Index Project, RootsIreland + more! Lots of talks & workshops planned. More 👇👇👇 https://t.co/MeZ3ZYx6Q6

OUR BILL PASSED the New York State Assembly yesterday -- UNANIMOUSLY! 🤩 It's still not a done deal yet. It has to go to the governor, and be signed, and not have last-minute line-item edits or a veto. But we are now SO much closer to reforming New York's vital records access!

UPDATE: The proposed state bill we're supporting to put millions of scanned-and-indexed older New York vital records online PASSED the NYS Senate today, 50-9! Now it needs to go through the Assembly... You can subscribe to the bill's progress here: https://t.co/oGQcqDhI3A

Our Indexing Week gathered 100 Geneanet members who together indexed 19,000 new names in the New York City Geographical Birth Index! This brings the total to 182,000 in this little-known collection liberated by Reclaim the Records @reclaimtherecs

Here's the official video of our intrepid attorney-by-day (and genealogist-by-night) Michael Moritz bravely arguing (and winning!) our case at the NY Court of Appeals, in case you want to see an episode of "Law and Order: Special Genealogy Unit". https://t.co/YOz48gQzpP

We won the New York State Death Index, 1880-2017! A big, big win for open records in New York State! -

@ReclaimTheRecs That is incredible, huge congratulations!! 🎉👏 What an amazing victory for access, transparency, and genealogists everywhere. 💪📜 From all of us at the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, we’re cheering you on and celebrating this win right alongside you!

.@ReclaimTheRecs #LetFreedomRing #NY #NYC