Unlocking the Files of the FBI: A Guide to Its Records and Classification System

This volume is the first comprehensive guide to the records of the FBI. At last historians have clear descriptions of the FBI's documents and how to gain access to them. Dr. Gerald Haines, who was a member of the National Archives FBI Task Force, and Mr. David Langbart describe the contents of each of the 278 classifications the bureau uses to organize its records. They detail how much material exists, its history, where it is housed, plans for its ultimate disposition, and how one can gain access. The volume includes descriptions of unclassified records; lists of abbreviations used on FBI documents; a full explanation of the FOIA with a sample letter requesting access; organizational charts; and other useful information. This book's combination of practical advice and archival surveys will enable researchers to exploit fully this largely untapped collection of U.S. government records.

Gerald K. Haines is a senior historian on the DCI History staff of the Central Intelligence Agency and was a member of the NARA/FBI Task Force that evaluated preservation options for FBI records. David A. Langbart is an archivist on the staff of the Records Appraisal and Disposition Division of the National Archives.