Understanding Reclaim the Records – An Interview with Brooke Schreier-Ganz and Alec Ferretti

In this episode of the Family Tree Magazine Podcast, Brook Schreier-Ganz and Alec Ferretti explain how Reclaim the Records fights for record releases and what that means for genealogists.

https://media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/media.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/content.blubrry.com/family_tree_magazine/FTM-05-2026.mp3

Feature: Reclaim the Records and Record Releases

Most records of interest to genealogists in the United States are created by government agencies; however, not all government agencies are cooperative about releasing these records. Non-profit organization Reclaim the Records that advocates for these records to be released, sometimes with legal action.

Mentioned in this episode:

The mission and focus of Reclaim the Records

Challenges that arise when accessing public records

Record access laws and trends affecting them

The issue of privacy when accessing public records

Current and upcoming projects at Reclaim the Records

How to advocate for open records

Websites created by Reclaim the Records, like newyorkdeathindex.com