Austin, TX – The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) celebrated the opening of its new 20,000-square-foot records storage facility at the State Records Center Annex at Promontory Point in Austin on August 6 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Commission Chair Dr. Martha Wong officially launched the expansion facility during a visit with other members of the Commission and TSLAC staff.
Part of TSLAC’s State and Local Records Management Division (SLRM), the State Records Center Annex expansion will provide additional storage space for state and local records. SLRM provides an infrastructure for managing Texas public records and assists state and local officials with training, resources, guidelines and consultation to ensure that government information is stored, retained and made accessible.
“A records storage facility might not seem very glamorous, but it is an absolutely critical element in the efficient and transparent conduct of government,” said TSLAC Director and Librarian Mark Smith. “We are grateful to the Legislature for providing the funding to allow TSLAC to continue to meet the records storage needs of state government.”
The State Records Center provides state agencies and local governments with cost-effective storage of non-current, infrequently used state records in hard copy, electronic and microfilm formats. Agencies are provided with controlled access to their hard copy records that are stored in a facility specifically designed for high-density, low-cost maintenance of records. The electronic and microfilm records are stored in vaults specifically designed to protect these documents and mediums. SLRM also offers disaster recovery services, which include storage of backup computer media and rotation on individual agency schedules.
TSLAC recommends that state agencies take advantage of the cost-savings services of the State Records Center for the storage of their records and materials. Use of the State Records Center, while not mandatory, is a safe and cost-effective way to manage the state's inactive and semi-active records.
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