Some 60 pre-1990 items (folders) in a Foreign Affairs search topic of my interest, have a Closed access status. The reason given for all of them being closed is Withheld pending adv(ice). A few have additional reasons (referencing the Archives Act).
Does Withheld pending adv mean exactly that - ie the item remains under active decision-making processes concerning reader/researcher access. If so, is there a reasonable explanation for why some of these items have been withheld under this reason for up to 10 years?
Thanks @wragge. I am, of course, (still) hoping there might be an NAA reply to my question. ‘The ox is slow but the earth is patient.’
I was pleased to see your piece referenced in the AHA’s submission to the Tune review and Jenny Hocking 's recent reflection on the same topic. I could have done three PhDs and started a fourth - am still waiting for access to 11 folders sought in 2013. Haha.
The AHA’s suggestion on how to speed-up Agency access clearance would certainly put the cat amongst those particular pigeons:
" Agencies have no specific obligations to respond within a particular timeframe. This part of the Act needs to be examined. One solution could be a time limit for responses — if the Archives has not heard from the Agency within three months then it is assumed the Agency has no objection to the file being released."
