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Local Government Records Advisory Council

April 10, 2008 Meeting Summary


                             
Present: David Vehaun, Municipal Clerk/Finance Director, City of Rock Hill; Matthew Thomas Townsend, Archives and Records Officer, Charleston County School District; Gregory P. Carter, Records Bureau Supervisor, City of Aiken; Rick Rodden, Recorder of Deeds (representing Milton Pope), Richland County; Melissa Carter, Research Analyst, Municipal Association of SC; Joyce McDonald, Clerk of Court, Kershaw County (and SC SHRAB member); William Clark, Orangeburg County Administrator; Timothy Nanney, Recorder of Deeds, Greenville County; Mary S. Schroeder, Deputy Director, SC Court Administration; and, Kathleen K. Williams, Assistant Director, SC Association of Counties.

SC Department of Archives and History: Roy H. Tryon, State Archivist, Richard Harris, Records Services Manager, and John D. Mackintosh, Local Government Records Services

Absent:  Chuck Watkins, Records Manager, Anderson County; Sandra S. Estridge, Probate Judge, Lancaster County; and, Sherron L. Skipper, Municipal Clerk, City of Hartsville

A background report (see Appendix A) had been sent to members in advance of the meeting containing information and links to meeting-related material.

The meeting began at 10:45am

Welcome and Introductions
Roy Tryon welcomed the group, noting that the LGRAC had not met since June 2005. The major reason for the lack of meeting was the staff time taken up by two planning projects and grant projects.  An attempt to schedule a Council meeting in the fall 2007 failed due to schedule conflicts.  Mr. Tryon said that he would try to schedule more regular Council meetings.  He also noted that Frank Broom, Camden city manager, recently resigned from the Council and that three new members have joined: Melissa Carter, Timothy Nanney, and William Clark.  All the attendees introduced themselves. 

Reports on Archives’ Activities
Planning
Mr. Tryon said that the recently completed Archives and SC State Historical Records Advisory Board (SC SHRAB) planning processes started with the assumption that, due to the dramatic reduction in Archives staff and budget since the early 2000s (including the loss of eighteen staff positions), staff and other resources would have to be focused on core functional responsibilities.  He described the major features of the major planning activities undertaken by Archives staff: An Archives and Records Management Division long range plan, 2007-2011 (http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/armfinalrpt.htm), and the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SC SHRAB) state plan, 2007-2012 (http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/shrab/shrabstateplan07.htm).

Division Long Range Plan
Challenges
Lack of resources/staff
Great amount of unprocessed records/dwindling stack space
Coping with paper and electronic/digital records at same time
Researchers expect more online

Local Government-Related Objectives
Training
Statewide disaster response capacity
Public Records Act revision
General Schedules updating

SC SHRAB State Plan
For all types of historical records
Funding, Collaboration, & Advocacy
Training & education
Disaster preparedness
ER management and digital access


Electronic Records and Digital Access
Roy Tryon mentioned that special funding in the last few years had allowed the Archives to add an Electronic Records Archivist position and to upgrade its information technology infrastructure.  The Archives is now involved in a multi-state electronic records preservation project and is preserving state agency website content (which is already available on the Department’s website: /webarchives/). Federal funding through the State Library is making the Archives’ older historical records available online through the Online Records Index (http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/Archives/default.asp), and arrangements are being worked out with Ancestry.com to partner in increasing the quantities of records scanned and made available online.

Training
Richard Harris described the Archives’ training for local governments, including on-site training upon request and the already scheduled April 29 records management conference.  He also detailed the staff efforts in providing sessions through the Councils of Government on archival practices for local governments and, also at various locations around the state, sessions on disaster preparedness and response for local governments and other records repositories.

Disaster Preparedness
Roy Tryon followed up on Mr. Harris’ description of the Archives’ disaster preparedness/response sessions by noting that disaster matters are key features of Archives’ planning in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  There is now considerable content on the Archives’ website (/disaster/), providing guidance for local government on disaster planning and response, and there will be continued training provided over the next few years.

A FEMA-funded project
(http://www.statearchivists.org/prepare/iper/index.htm) is starting up which will bring together state archives, CIO/IT, and emergency management representatives to develop collaboration within the states on mitigating the impact of disasters on records.  The project will include local governments.  The three-year project, will kick-off at a July meeting in Atlanta, includes the development of coordinated training in the states.  Mr. Tryon said that he would keep the Council informed about developments in the project.

Regrant Program
John Mackintosh described the SC SHRAB’s latest regrants to local governments and how small amounts of funds can benefit South Carolina’s local governments.  He also pointed out that several local governments had made real progress over several regrant projects to address preservation and access problems.  The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a part of the National Archives, provides the regrant funding.  The 2008 regrant recipients are:

Abbeville County:  Funds to purchase shelving and acid-free boxes and to hire special project staff (3) to carry out work that will include an inventory of older records and work toward consolidating records storage in a central location. Amount awarded:  $8,488.

Chesterfield County:  Funds to have Judgment Rolls, 1902-1959, microfilmed.  Amount awarded:  $10,000.

Fairfield County Probate Judge:  Funds to have Estate Papers, 1915-1959, microfilmed.  Amount awarded:  $10,000.

Florence County Probate Court:  Funds to purchase microfilm and to pay for processing and duplication services for microfilm of Estate Papers, 1916-1959, produced by the county.  Amount awarded:  $849.

Marion County Probate Judge:  Funds to have Estate Papers, 1915-1959, microfilmed.  Amount awarded:  $4,999.

Marlboro County:  Funds to have Estate, Guardian and Conservator records, 1950-1959, microfilmed.  Amount awarded:  $4,999.

Cultural and Heritage Commission of York County:  Funds to have Judgment Rolls, 1800-1839, microfilmed.  Amount awarded:  $7,326.


Partnership for the American Historical Record (PAHR)
Roy Tryon followed Mr. Mackintosh’s presentation on regrants to local governments with a presentation on PAHR (http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/shrab/pahr/PAHRhandout-Dec2007.pdf and http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/shrab/pahr/PAHR_Bill.pdf), a proposed federal program for regular records grants to the states.  At full $50million funding, South Carolina would be eligible for about $700,000 per year, but even if funded at a much lower $10 million per year the amount would be about $200,000.  This would be much more than the amounts of regrant funds made available by NHPRC through the SC SHRAB, and would be a regular amount that could be planned for rather than the occasional amount that have been received over the past eighteen years.  Mr. Tryon said that he would be asking for the assistance from LGRAC members in the future to contact members of the state’s Congressional delegation in support of the funding proposal.

eBay and Local Government Records
Richard Harris briefed the Council members on the issue of local government records for sale on eBay and other online sites as well as, over many years, at flea markets and other locations.  He reviewed the Archives’ online policy statement (/saleofhistoricalpublcrecords.htm) on its role in assisting local governments in dealing with eBay types of sales.  He noted that action is required of local legal and law enforcement, as only they have the legal standing to take effective action.  The Archives can help in verifying that records had been in the possession of a local government from microfilm copies held by the Archives.  Mr. Harris asked if there were any suggestions or recommendations for changes to the policy.

Discussion among the Council members ensued about security and the lack of records access controls in many local government offices.  Consciousness-raising would certainly help, but most offices require more staff to do an effective job of protecting records.  The issue should be included in the Archives local government training.  The matter of the Archives legal standing to deal with eBay might be addressed through a revision to the Public Records Act in which such authority would be given to the Archives by the General Assembly.  

Local Government Archives Task Force Report
Roy Tryon reviewed the findings of a recently published national study and report on local government archives (see Appendix B).  He noted that many of South Carolina local governments’ records conditions and needs are, according to the task force report, present in most other states.  The Council of State Archivists is following up on the report (http://www.statearchivists.org/lga/index.htm) with a 2008 action plan to address several of the issues identified.  This activity could benefit South Carolina local governments.   
 
Brainstorming
The Council members were asked to address the following question:
What are the most important things the Archives should do or keep on doing to ensure SC local government records are well administered and historical records preserved?

The members suggested and engaged in discussion about the following responses to the question:

  • Help with technology issues
  • Continue storage of security microfilm
  • Partnering with municipal clerks
    Scanning local government records (as a service bureau)
  • Redoubling of efforts in education/training because of “Boomer” departure
    Changes in delivery of training and education activities (especially targeted to younger audience)
  • Work with Councils of Government and regional champions
  • Train the trainer concept
  • Awareness of the changes in technology affecting records creation and retention (e.g., law enforcement communications, text messaging, etc.)


Next Meeting
Fall, 2008

The meeting adjourned at 2:10pm

Prepared by:

Roy H. Tryon