Have you identified the essential records in your office? Essential records are very important government records that have value in emergencies, are pivotal in protecting the health, safety, property, and rights of residents, and may document the history of communities. If essential records are damaged or accidentally destroyed, it may be very difficult or even…
The Texas Library and Archives Foundation is accepting applications for its annual Martha Wong and Gloria Meraz-Mark Smith Scholarships. Both scholarships will award a reimbursable grant of $5,000 that may be used for tuition or required textbooks. Through these awards, the Foundation encourages Texans to pursue a career in the library field. The scholarships have…
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting local government classes on: Each class is $24 per person, per day. Class size is limited to 40 people, so register today! Classes will be held at the Barbara Jordan State Office Building – 1601 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701. Course Descriptions Introduction to Records Management – Full Day…
If you work for a county government, you may have spoken with your analyst about the position of Countywide RMO (CW RMO). Let’s dive in a little deeper. What is a Countywide RMO? The CW RMO’s duties are authorized in statute and are essentially to administer the county’s records management program. The CW RMO not…
On June 30, 2026, the newest edition of Local Schedule PW was published! These changes affect local governments. The amendment(s) to 13 TAC §7.127 were adopted as administrative rules of the commission—see the full announcement on the Texas Register. For local government RMOs, this means that all previous versions of Schedule PW will be obsolete…
The RMA team works with local governments, state agencies, and universities of all shapes and sizes throughout Texas. While resources and staff are applied differently in each records management program, there is a common idea of the Records Management Team. The Records Management Team is an effort to ensure records management knowledge, procedure, and training reaches all the staff in an organization. Records Management Officer The administration of the…
Are you a new records management officer? Audit season getting you down? Just looking for some fun paperwork to do in your free time? Like it or not, achieving and maintaining compliance with the Local Government Records Act (LGRA) has its benefits. It’s not just required: keeping your paperwork up to date is good emergency…
Disposition of records is a common and essential task among Records Management Officers (RMOs). However, at some point, RMOs will encounter the difficult task a step above regular disposition: getting rid of records that have been stashed away for decades. Nobody knows the content of the boxes or electronic files, and those who made them…
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting local government classes on: Each class is $24 per person, per day. Class size is limited to 40 people, so register today! Classes will be held at the Barbara Jordan State Office Building—1601 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701. Course Descriptions Introduction to Records Management — Full Day…
Birth, marriage, and death records. While these records are parts of lives lived, they are all also valuable tools to help live those lives—but not always in the ways one might expect. Sure, many people use these as part of genealogical research or to perhaps apply for or renew certain documents. But that’s not all…
Throughout the typical workday, it is easy to jot down reminders, take notes during a department meeting, or write down some ideas inspired by a conference presentation or training. Because notes sometimes have a sense of documenting government business and are useful for creating a potential record, you might wonder if what you just scribbled…
The digital age’s promise of the modernization of information technology and machine learning comes closer with every update to technology, systems, and programs to better process and avoid human error. In the years of transitioning to more digital systems to improve efficiency, storage, and sharing, the one format that sticks around without the need for…
Are the descriptions on your agency’s retention schedule lacking flair? Customizing records series descriptions can make your schedule easier to navigate and can increase clarity, helping your staff classify records properly. Here are some tips for writing custom series descriptions. Background Each state agency and public university in Texas must create a unique records retention schedule based on the records they create and maintain (Government Code §441.185). Local governments in Texas must either keep all records permanently, or prepare a records…
