Passed along by Wyndell Taylor:
Office of Secretary of State Cathy Cox
presentation to the
Joint Legislative Study Committee
on
Local Government Historical Records
as adopted in
House Resolution 1011
Monday - October 23, 2000
To assist in the goal of establishing and maintaining a statewide public
records and archives management program, the Office of Secretary of State
offers the following thoughts for consideration as objectives, issues, needs
and possible solutions.
I.General Status of Local Government Records Storage
The general status of local government records can best be judged by a 1996
Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board needs assessment survey. The survey
was mailed to county commissioners and clerks, city mayors and clerks,
judges, court clerks, court administrators, district attorneys, elected
officials, tax officials, local school board chairmen, and school
superintendents. These officials reported their most critical records
concerns and needs were:
⢠Commitment of management and elected officials
⢠Adequate storage facilities
⢠Increased resources
⢠Preservation and conservation of historical records
⢠Training in Records and Archives Management
⢠Application of technology
These concerns and needs are still with us. Many counties still lack the
resources to properly preserve, store and make available records of historic
importance. Limited resources often require local officials to place the
preservation and maintenance of records at a low priority. A lack of
knowledge regarding records and archives management often leads to a bad
situation being made worse. This outline provides a plan to address these
concerns and needs.
II. Potential Committee Objectives and Goals
⢠Gather information and report on current conditions faced by local
governments in retaining historical records
⢠Develop and recommend to the legislature a statewide strategy to devise,
implement and maintain a program for the preservation and accessibility of
local government historical records
III. Issues for Consideration
A. Local Governments are Facing Increasing Pressure for Record Storage &
Access Impact of Economic Growth on local governments' ability to create,
retain and provide accessibility to records Impact of the Open Records Act on
local government offices Increasing Demand for historical records for
genealogical & historical research
B. Limited Physical & Fiscal Resources for Local Governments
⢠Insufficient Resources at the local level to store public records
adequately
⢠Limited Access to public records due to deteriorating physical condition
and inadequate facilities
C. Local Governments Need Guidance on Legal, Regulato[y & Best Approach
⢠Inconsistent Application of laws and regulations governing record keeping
⢠Lack of Knowledge regarding best practices for public record keeping
⢠Insufficient Resources to reformat public records for improved
accessibility and preservation
⢠Uncertainty regarding responsibilities for the creation, retention and
distribution of public records
IV. Local Government ""Needs"
A. Guidance: State government level leadership and expertise in the
management and care of public records
B. Resources: Adequate resources to support a statewide program providing
this leadership and expertise
C. Mechanism to Sustain: A cost recovery system to provide consistent and
reliable funds to support:
⢠Statewide records and archives training program
⢠Reformatting capability
⢠Regional storage facilities
⢠Statewide application of information technology for improved accessibility
V. Potential Resources Available to Address Issues & Needs
A. Georgia Legislature B. Archives and History Division of the Secretary of
State's Office C. Federal and State grant programs D. Regional Development
Centers E. Service Delivery Strategy Program
F. Potential Partners
⢠State Records Committee
⢠Georgia Historical Society
⢠Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board
⢠Georgia Records Association
⢠Georgia Genealogical Society
⢠Society of Georgia Archivists
⢠Local Historical Repositories/Li bra ries
⢠University System of Georgia
⢠Georgia Municipal Association
⢠Association of County Commissioners of Georgia
⢠Department of Community Affairs
⢠Superior Court Clerks Association
VI. Potential Solutions That May Surface in Course of Committee Study
A. State Level Program: A statewide public records and archives management
program to provide leadership, expertise and coordination of all available
resources
B. Regional/Multi-County Facilities: Regional storage facilities providing
secure storage and reformatting of county records
C. Partnerships: Partnerships between local governments
D. Public/Private Solution: Participation of private entities and
professional associations
E. Resource to Initiate & Sustain: Cost recovery mechanisms
F. State Commitment: A State grant program to provide funds for public records
VII. Potential Site Visits and/or Presentations
A. Harris County: Small County/Limited Resources/Increasing Demand
B. DeKalb or Gwinnett County: Large County/Adequate Resources/Increasing
Demand
C. Columbus/ Muscogee Regional Records Center: Consolidated Government/
Cooperative /Committed Resources/Potential Statewide Solution Model
D. Baldwin County: GHRAB Grant Recipient
E. Chatham County: A county with a problem and a plan