Udemy logo.

Udemy: A Video Learning Resource

Did you know that there is a free resource available through your local library to help you learn relevant skills needed to be an effective records manager? All you need is a library card! What is Udemy? Udemy is an online video learning platform. It’s one of the free TexShare databases offered at participating Texas…

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is the practice of evaluating the inherent threats to and weaknesses in a government entity’s records and information. It is a recommended practice to evaluate the protection of your entity’s records in order to mitigate the potential destruction, harm, or loss to the information. While it may seem daunting to conduct a…

A faceless cartoon man conducts a training in front of an easel while three attendees listen.

Developing Internal Training

Developing training can be an intimidating task, but it doesn’t need to be insurmountable. Check out the tips below to get started on building an internal training program for your own organization. Get Top-Down Support We know we sound like a broken record about getting executive buy-in, but that is how important it is. This…

A vinyl record on a blue background with the words Off the Record and the TSLAC logo in white.

Off the Record: Fire

Welcome back to our occasional series “Off the Record,” a curated collection of articles we found interesting on a broad range of topics; some which are directly related to records management and others which might share common themes. No, we didn’t write these articles—hence the name of this series, “Off the Record”— but, fortunately, we…

The words "You Ask, We Answer" over two puzzle pieces labeled "Q" and "A" as well as the TSLAC logo.

AV and Me

Administratively Valuable (AV) is a retention code that stirs a lot of questions. How long is AV? What even is AV? Can you say “Administratively Valuable” five times fast? While we analysts at TSLAC can point out best practices and strategies regarding this retention code, we can only speculate so much. To offer a different…

Person reviewing two pieces of paper.

Official Record Copy

How many duplicates of a record must a government keep for the full retention period? In terms of records management laws and rules, one copy of a record must be kept for the full retention period, and we call this the “official record copy.” Any identical copies of the official record copy are considered “convenience…