First, let’s look at the definition of an exhibit. According to Black’s Law Dictionary, an exhibit is “a document, record, or other tangible object formally introduced as evidence in court,” or “a document attached to and made part of a pleading, motion, contract or other instrument.” So, exhibits may be physical objects or documents, and…
Maps and plats play a huge part in how a municipality is laid out, zoned, developed, and built. Maps assist in navigation of the municipality, while plats establish the boundaries. Because these record types can seem similar, it is sometimes difficult for local government employees to identify an appropriate retention series on the Local Government…
Break out the orange pumpkins and black cats, because it is once again the spookiest time of the year. Let’s pick out the next RIM-Brain film from the movie library for the Halloween season. Now lets don our costumes, grab a bowl of caramel corn, and get ready to watch this year’s horror film. Here…
TSLAC is seeking informal comments on draft updates to the following Local Government Schedules: Everything you need is available on the Informal Review of Amended Local Government Retention Schedules webpage: ☆ Pay special attention ☆ to the Comments in the Preliminary Drafts where TSLAC requests your experience and opinion on certain record series in particular.…
How long should government entities in Texas keep email? It’s one of our most frequently asked questions, and like all our favorite questions here at TSLAC, the answer is, “it depends.” Though TSLAC has traditionally recommended the “sort and file” method, these days many agencies are hoping to simplify their operations by establishing an auto-deletion…
Calling on all employees of Texas state agencies, local governments, and institutions of higher education! State and Local Records Management (SLRM) needs your help evaluating the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC). This survey is your opportunity to tell us how we’re doing. tsl.texas.gov/slrm/training/slrm-css25 Completing the survey should take you approximately two (2) minutes;…
For the past three years, as the analyst for the Dallas region, I have been fortunate enough to answer and rely on Peter Kurilecz’ questions and insight on record management in the state of Texas. I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with Mr. Kurilecz to explore his thoughts on records management and maybe…
Early bird rate ends October 31. When: Friday, November 21, 2025Where: Commons Conference Center in Austin, Texas Registration for the 2025 e-Records Conference is now open! Texas public sector employees can register through the registration portal. You can also visit the event portal at this link: tsl.texas.gov/slrm/training/attendee25 To launch registration, click “For Attendees.” Be sure to visit the conference…
Declaring compliance with local government retention schedules is a lot like grocery shopping. Confused? Let me explain. However you look at it, every local government must declare compliance with a selection from TSLAC’s 12 local government retention schedules using either the SLR 512 (for elected officials) or SLR 508 (for everyone else). TSLAC has recommended…
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…
We are excited to announce that we will be conducting free introductory records management classes via Zoom for local governments on: These classes are free for local government employees in Texas. Visit our training page for registration instructions. Class Description Records Management Basics for Local Governments — 2.5-Hour Webinar This course is an abbreviated mashup…
Early bird rate ends October 18 Texas State Library and Archives Commission and Texas Department of Information Resources are now registering exhibitors for the annual e-Records Conference. The conference will be held on Friday, November 21 at the Commons Conference Center in Austin, Texas. The theme this year is Preserve the Past, Power the Future. This popular annual conference provides an excellent opportunity for your company…
What if I asked you, “Where can you find the retention period for local government grant records?” You wouldn’t be wrong to go to Grant Development and Administrative Records in Schedule GR (GR1025-08). But wait! That’s not the whole picture. At the top of Local Schedule GR, Part 2, note (b) significantly expands the definition…
