3/11/04
In January, the Records Management and Preservation Board (RMPB) awarded $572,899 in grants to 23 West Virginia county commissions through the County Records Management and Preservation Grant program. The grants are for projects that will introduce improved management and storage conditions for the counties’ official public records. The projects will be conducted during the fiscal year July 2004 through June 2005.
The RMPB encouraged grant applicants to address three criteria: remove non-record and accumulations of records having reached or exceeded required retention periods; provide proper and improved storage of permanent or long-term records; conduct a total records inventory and condition assessment; and develop a master records management plan. A complete list of grant recipients is attached.
The County Records Management and Preservation Grant program receives its funding from records filing fees collected by county clerks. The funds serve as monetary incentives to equip county officials to improve conditions for the preservation of their public records.
The RMPB was created by the W. Va. Legislature in 2000 to develop uniform county records management programs. Its primary focus is to establish guidelines and provide technical assistance to address the needs of the records of county governments through a uniform records management system, and to further encourage adoption of these goals through the county records grant program.
The RMPB also funded a county-wide survey of county government records and conditions in 2002-2003, and issued a county records manual in 2003. This information can be accessed on the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History’s website at www.wvculture.org/history/rmpb.html.
For more information about the Records Management and Preservation Board’s annual grant program, contact the West Virginia State Archives, by phone at (304) 558-0230 or by mail at Records Management and Preservation Board, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, The Cultural Center, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, W. Va. 25305-0300.
The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
RMPB Recipients for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004
(Counties which received awards in excess of $10,000 provided a minimum 10 percent
cash match as well as in-kind contributions.)
Boone County Commission, $37,000 to develop master records management plan; provide climate controlled storage room and improved storage equipment; and implement a records schedule to eliminate duplicates and retired records
Fayette County Commission, $31,790 to provide improved records storage in county clerk’s, circuit clerk’s and sheriff’s offices; implement records schedule for inactive records and acquire microfilm copies for backup
Greenbrier County Commission, $18,021 to provide preservation of original records in the county clerk’s office
Harrison County Commission, $30,000 to provide personnel to update and finalize records inventory for all offices; implement records schedule to remove retired records; and purchase archival supplies to improve preservation of permanent records
Kanawha County Commission, $30,000 to develop master records management plan for maintenance and storage of exhibits in Circuit Clerk’s jurisdiction; inventory and implement records schedule to remove retired records; and provide proper storage of permanent and long-term records of the county commission and county clerk’s offices
Lincoln County Commission, $36,00 to acquire microfilm of records for preservation backup; to assist in inventory of county records for development of records management plan; and to implement records schedule to remove retired records
Logan County Commission, $15,00 to provide for personnel and training to inventory and organize county records in accordance with records schedule, properly disposing of retired records; and work on developing county records plan
Marion County Commission, $35,676 for personnel to purge records in accordance with circuit clerk’s records retention schedule; improve storage and purchase filing system and shelving for sheriff and county clerk’s offices
Mason County Commission, $36,292 to acquire microfilm of county clerk’s office records for preservation and backup; a storage unit and microfilm reader
Mercer County Commission, $92,883 to provide for purchase of improved filing and storage units for circuit clerk’s records; and conservation encapsulation and rebinding of three books of early vital county clerk records
Mineral County Commission, $22,340 to provide for certified records management consultant to conduct on-site records assessment; develop master records management plan for all county offices; and purchase of storage units to improve storage of records and utilization of space
Mingo County Commission, $21,265 to provide personnel to inventory and dispose of retired records in circuit clerk’s office; purchase storage units to improve space efficiency; record access and preservation
Monongalia County Commission, $27,649 to provide storage units to improve access and space efficiency in the county clerk’s office; and climate control for records storage room
Monroe County Commission, $20,000 to provide personnel to inventory and organize records; remove retired records; and purchase archival supplies for proper storage of permanent records
Morgan County Commission, $10,000 to provide funding for certified records management consultant to conduct on-site records assessment; and develop master records management plan for county offices
Nicholas County Commission, $15,650 to provide funding for personnel to inventory and organize circuit clerk’s office records; implement records retention schedule, and purchase filing units to improve records storage
Pocahontas County Commission, $5,500 to provide funding for a records consultant to assess county clerk’s records and storage needs; purchase equipment for proper disposal of records; and storage units to provide improved storage for records
Putnam County Commission, $7,000 to provide funding to acquire microfilm for a project to reformat to digital, which will enable the printing of ledger volumes, creating more space for records and providing backup duplicate
Roane County Commission, $15,500 to purchase existing microfilm of the county clerk’s records; microfilm those records which aren’t available in that format already, print records in smaller ledger-bound volumes; and provide backup duplicate
Summers County Commission, $9,300 to provide funding for personnel to inventory the circuit clerk’s office records; remove the old records and purchase supplies to improve storage capabilities
Upshur County Commission, $26,500 to provide funding to hire a certified records manager to conduct a survey and condition assessment of the county records; and develop a county records management plan
Wayne County Commission, $10,000 to provide funding to hire a certified records manager to conduct a survey, inventory and assessment of the condition of the county records; appraise current and potential storage areas; and develop a county records management plan
Wirt County Commission, $19,623 to provide funding for personnel to inventory, assess and organize records; remove retired records and purchase equipment to provide improved and more efficient records storage
-30-