BackIn its endeavours of providing its members with well processed information on the legal basis and general mandate of the I.O.I. member institutions, the I.O.I. strives to encourage and support research and study into the institution of the ombudsman as well as to collect, store and disseminate research data about the institution of the ombudsman in all I.O.I. regions.
Thus, in 2010, the archives of the I.O.I. were inaugurated and, satisfactorily, continue to grow. In 2010/2011, approximately 200 publications, mostly annual reports from ombudsman institutions, were added to the existing collection of over 3,500 ombudsman-related documents. In the near future, it is planned to integrate I.O.I. materials from former I.O.I. Secretary and Quebec Ombudsman Daniel Jacoby. The donation from Quebec will enable the I.O.I. to make a further step towards building up a comprehensive documentation of I.O.I.’s history.
Meanwhile, the General Secretariat has not only become the focal point for information exchange among member institutions but has also been addressed by a growing number of external persons seeking information on the I.O.I. and its activities. Therefore, the archives are increasingly becoming a valuable source of information for universities, students, partner organisations and publishing houses, to mention but a few.
