The Records Management and Preservation Board (RMPB) has awarded $566,562.37 in grant funds to thirty West Virginia County Commissions for records management and preservation projects. The Board reviewed submissions and made its recommendations in January for projects to improve management, storage conditions, accessibility, and preservation of public records held in county offices. Following official letters announcing the successful grants, RMPB staff will provide technical assistance in setting up the projects, which officially begin with the new fiscal year (July 1, 2025). A complete list of recipients is attached.
The RMPB was created by the West Virginia Legislature in 2000 to develop a system of records management and preservation for county governments. Funding for the grants program comes from filing fees collected by county clerks and deposited in the special Public Records and Preservation Revenue Account. Applications for the next grant cycle will be available September 1, 2025.
For more information about the Records Management and Preservation Board's annual grant program or the work of the RMPB, contact Kyle Campbell, county records archivist, West Virginia Archives and History, by phone at (304) 558-0230, ext. 150, by e-mail at [email protected], or by mail at Records Management and Preservation Board, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Building 9, Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Information can be accessed electronically at http://archive.wvculture.org/history/rmpb/rmpb.html
Barbour County Commission $6,877: $5,115, for the Circuit Clerk to digitize Law Order Books 1-36. $1,762, for the Prosecuting Attorney to hire a part-time employee 2-3 days a week to inventory, identify, and dispose of records that meet their retention period; then reorganize and catalog the remaining files. The files consist of fifty boxes of closed felonies.
Berkeley County Commission $35,000: 15,000 for the Circuit Clerk for a continuation of past/current grants (beginning in FY14 to present) to index digital images of Administrative Appeals, 2012-2016; Domestic Case Files, 1999-2016; Chancery and Law Case Files, 1880-1963; and Special Boxes, 1847-1960. $20,000 for the County Clerk to purchase a map cabinet and Mylar sleeves to encapsulate and store the county's maps, 1975-present. To also purchase archival boxes to store vital statistics and make them more accessible to the public, to meet the public interest in genealogy.
Braxton County Commission: $9,089.33, for the Circuit Clerk to have Precision Services digitize Chancery Orders in 30 tri-fold shuck cans. They include Civil, Divorce, and Felony Case Files, 1907-1950.
Cabell County Commission $33,993: $14,375, for the County Clerk to purchase two sheet-fed scanners. One scanner will digitize ledger-size books. The other scanner will scan legal-size pages that the office uses daily. $6,650, to have two Will Indexes mended and preserved with E. H. Roederer Bookbindery. $19,618 for the Prosecuting Attorney to digitize paper files related to criminal cases that must remain in the custody of the prosecutor by Tri-Data. There are approximately 545 boxes of records ranging from 1989-present. $9,927 to use a part-time employee to prepare the documents for digitization. The employee's tasks would include pulling the files, removing thumb drives and CDs, labeling and separating them from the paper files to be scanned, and placing the files in boxes to prepare them for digitization.
Clay County Commission: $13,636.36, for the Circuit Clerk to use a part-time employee to scan and index Civil (2008-2012), Criminal (2008-20112), Domestic (2008-2012), JA, JD, and JS case files using the WVSCA records management system.
Fayette County Commission $20,823.31: $13,636.36, for the Assessor to digitize property record cards into digital records to be stored on an office server. Approximately 40,000 records need to be scanned and digitally filed. $7,186.95 for the County Clerk to purchase EasiFile map cabinets to replace their old Enduro plat cabinets.
Gilmer County Commission $35,254.66: $10,000, for the County Clerk to have Precision Services digitize 8 Trust Deed Books, 12 Fiduciary Books, 10 Inventory Record Books, 3 Road Books, 12 Release Books, and 18 Land Books. Precision Services will scan to a disk drive, which will be used to upload the documents online. This will give patrons easier access to the digitized records. $4,716.36, to purchase two Fujitsu fi-6670 sheet-fed scanners to help digitize the documents that are recorded and indexed daily, and back indexing in the County Clerk's office for easier access to the documents online that citizens, abstractors, and attorneys will use. $20,538.30 for the Sheriff's Department: $15,000 for personnel costs to have someone help the Chief Tax Deputy and Assistant Tax Deputy with scanning and filing Domestic Violence Protection Orders. $2,082.22, to purchase 12 cases of Quill storage boxes at $80.99/case and 4 storage shelves at $329.64/shelf. The items will be utilized to retain the original documents in the Sheriff's Office for five years. Currently, they are stored unsecured in the basement of the courthouse. This will allow them to be in the office for quick retrieval. $3,456.08 to purchase a Dell desktop for $1,842.79, a Fellows shredder at $434.99, a Fujitsu scanner for $623.93, and a Canon printer for $899.98. The PC and scanner will be used to scan documents, therefore providing digital access. The printer will be used to print necessary copies of sensitive documents. The shredder will be used to properly dispose of sensitive documents
Grant County Commission: $18,000, for the County Clerk to purchase roller shelving that would require less space than their current filing system and provide more storage in the vault. Currently, there is no space for additional storage units, and no way to increase the vault size.
Greenbrier County Commission: $5,669.40, for the County Commission to purchase (6) five-drawer filing cabinets to place in the record storage area to store old fiduciary files so they can be easily accessible to both the staff and citizens who would like to review the Estate Files. Cabinets cost $1,039.39 each.
Hancock County Commission: $14,934 for the County Clerk, $10,000 to continue digitizing documents such as Appraisements, Fiduciary, and Land Books. $3,043 to purchase one shredder to manage the retention schedule by destroying records that have passed the retention period. $1,891 to purchase six storage shelves for the election storage room. This will keep papers and equipment off the floor. To also purchase a filing cabinet for the record room, as the current one is a hazard to use when the drawers are open.
Jackson County Commission $18,403.04: $9,1732.63 for the Circuit Clerk to digitize cassette tapes used by a court reporter 2020-2023 into a digital format for storage and the reproduction of transcripts by the court. There are approximately 1,816 volumes. $9,230.41 for the County Clerk, to have Precision Services scan, image, and proof Oil and Gas Lease Books 1-98 from the record room of the County Clerk's office. Precision Services has estimated that this project will take two months to complete. Oil and Gas Lease Books 1-98.
Kanawha County Commission $37,726.36: $13,636.36 for the Prosecuting Attorney for personnel costs to conduct an inventory of records and remove non-records, duplicates, and accumulations of records that have reached or exceeded their retention period. $9,090 to have Tri-Data digitize, verify, and store files requiring continued retention. They will also handle the destruction of paper files once verified and digitally stored, and provide a copy of the digital images to Archives and History. $15,000 for the Assessor to purchase six shelving units for land books stacked on top of each other because there is no shelf space for the books.
Lewis County Commission $30,000: $7,500 for the Circuit Clerk to scan and index Domestic Civil Case Files 1993-1997 and 2010-2012, Criminal Case Files 1993-1996, and Domestic Violence Case Files 2010-2012. $7,500 for the County Clerk to continue index recording documents into their records management software. Deed Books 355-405 and Inventory Books 84-99. $7,500, for the Sheriff's Department to scan and index 2010-2020 Criminal Reports, Investigation Reports, and Criminal Complaints in the Sheriff's Office. $7,500 for the Assessor's office for personnel costs to digitize Land Book files. The records date from the 1950s and complete the transaction history for land parcels. Scanning these books will allow more viewing of files remotely and greatly reduces the physical handling of the documents.
Lincoln County Commission $20,486.36: $13,636.36 for the County Clerk to use current employees after hours to digitize Commission Order Books Volumes 28-75. $6,350 to purchase record storage boxes, shelving for voter registration and records storage, and labeling for effortless retrieval and research. $500 to purchase one commercial-grade paper shredder.
Mason County Commission $33,379.68: $13,636.36 for the County Clerk to hire a temporary employee to digitize, index, proof, and update Lien Books 90-99. $9,743.32 to purchase the EasiFile system to store up to 1200 documents. $10,000 for the Circuit Clerk for personnel costs to hire a temporary employee to digitize files into Court Plus and to work through the retention schedule to dispose of records past their retention period.
McDowell County Commission: $4,909, for the County Clerk to encapsulate and digitize map books 18 and 19 for the county clerk. This is a continuation of past grant projects to restore the county’s original map books.
Mercer County Commission: $20,000, for the Circuit Clerk to purchase a high-density mobile shelf storage system for boxed files from AJ-Allegheny Systems and archival storage boxes to re-box and reorganize records from the old jail site.
Mineral County Commission: $15,000, for the County Clerk to hire part-time employees to digitize vital records and plats dating from 1866 to the 1970s.
Mingo County Commission $24,000: $6,000 for the County Clerk for staff members to digitize birth records,1935-1936. Digitizing these records is difficult because many have suffered water damage from the 1977 flood and are difficult to read. $6,000 for the Circuit Clerk for staff members will continue to digitize civil case files from 2006-2007, and expect to complete them. There are approximately 414 cases in the mentioned years. $6,000 for staff members to digitize sales listings from 1970 to the present. These records are required to be kept and consume a large amount of space. Scanning them will preserve them and make them readily available electronically. $6,000 for the Sheriff's Department for staff members to purge thousands of documents that have passed their retention period. Due to a lack of space in the courthouse, it is necessary to purge the records that are no longer required to be kept. All pertinent documents, such as tax tickets that have been scanned and are currently available online.
Monongalia County Commission $21,872.70: $15,000 for the County Clerk for personnel costs to fund the employment of four Graduate Assistants at the Monongalia County Clerk's Office. The students from WVU's History Department, working within the Record Management Department, will play a crucial role in ensuring that sensitive paperwork is adequately disposed of. Among other important tasks, the students will be charged with shredding documents and ensuring that the materials are discarded in an efficient, secure, and archival-approved manner. $6,872 to purchase two Fellowes Powershred 425H2S 10-sheet micro-cut high security shredders. (spec sheet on page 11.) Each shredder will be placed on a different level of the courthouse, where the County Clerk has two separate offices. Having two shredders in two areas will enhance efficiency. Having two shredders, workers will be able to shred materials containing sensitive information immediately, and they will not need to be emptied as often.
Monroe County Commission $27,272: $13,636 for the County Clerk to use existing employees working overtime hours required to index previously scanned deed records. They plan to index between 20 and 25 handwritten deed books. The project will commence with Deed Book 49, to index records back to Deed Book Y. $13,636 for the Circuit Clerk to utilize existing employees working overtime hours to digitize Records, Petitions, and Order Books from 1995-2006. This includes family court filings, such as divorce and circuit court records.
Morgan County Commission $30,000: $10,000 for the Prosecuting Attorney to scan and index Magistrate and Circuit Case Files (1990-present). $10,000 for the Assessor to continue digitizing and indexing Map Cards (1800s-2022), Homestead Applications, and Real Estate Books using full-time staff at the overtime rate. $10,000 for the County Clerk to scan and index the deeds, deeds of trust, wills, and other books. They are almost done with Deed Book 4 and will be moving on to Deeds of Trust.
Nicholas County Commission: $9,896.55, for the County Clerk to have Precision Services digitize 74 Land Books 1830-1985, Volumes 1 & 2.
Pendleton County Commission: $10,227, for the County Clerk to digitize and index Deed Books 39-52, from 1901-1918, using the county's records management system. RMPB Statewide Preservation Project digitized deed books for this county. This is a continuation of the FY25 grant.
Pleasants County Commission: $15,000, for the Circuit Clerk to use a part-time employee to continue working on the retention schedule, which requires all case files to be scanned. The employee would continue scanning miscellaneous and civil case files from the 1950s, 1970s, and 1980s. They will also be scanning civil and domestic cases from 2010 forward.
Pocahontas County Commission $18,835: $10,000 for the Circuit Clerk for personnel costs to scan and index into the Court PLUS system older records that are in storage that were obtained from the first county seat, Huntersville. The historical records to be digitized are civil and criminal matters from the post-Civil War era, starting in 1863. $1,090, to purchase a 12"x17" A3 flatbed scanner to digitize the records listed above. $7,745 for the County Clerk to hire Precision Services to digitize Land Books that have been transferred to the County Clerk's office, Will Books, Appraisement Books, Trust Deed Books, and a List of Heirs Book.
Putnam County Commission: $2,950.72, for the County Clerk to purchase two Powershred 225Mi microcut shredders from CDW Government. The utilization of the proposed shredders would allow for the proper destruction of the sensitive records maintained by the County Clerk's Office.
Roane County Commission $10,000: $5,000 for the Circuit Clerk for personnel costs to digitize Domestic Relations Files 2003 and later; Civil Case Files 1996 and later; Criminal Case Files 1991 and later; and other miscellaneous records (guardianship, mental hygiene, petitions, and adoptions of various dates. $5,000 for the County Clerk for personnel costs to digitize Estate Files from 2000-2009; Appraisement Books 45 to current (1/1/2000-9/30/2009); and Administrator Appointment Order Books 20 to current.
Summers County Commission: $2,876.9, for the County Clerk to purchase two new public access computers and two printers for the record room. The existing computers in the record room are quite old and require replacement.
Wayne County Commission $20,450: $15,000 for the County Clerk for personnel costs to index deed books 311-285 digitized by the Statewide Preservation Project into the county's existing records management software. This is a continuation of their past/current grant project. $5,450 to conserve existing county records through sleeve encapsulation of existing binders. The records to be encapsulated are Register of Births 1853-1881, 1882-1898, 1898-1911, 1911-1918, and 1888-1905.
Records Management and Preservation Board
West Virginia Archives and History