Before there was a State Records Center, there was… a cow barn! It was pretty much antithetical to our current Records Storage Standards (published as Bulletin F); a small building with a dirt floor on the grounds of the Austin State Hospital was where ‘out-of-date’ records were stored during that period of time.
But the cow barn was a catalyst for a major initiative to provide funding for the newly formed Records Management Division in 1948. I’m still reading up on the history of records management in Texas, so stay tuned for more snapshots of how our program evolved over the years.
1989 29 2 no # Cowbarn Interior 4c rgb ds
Love it! We had to start somewhere! When we feel like we are struggling to manage our records, it helps to remind us of what it was like before . . .
Well, at least now I know that storage of records has always been an issue for everyone! I don’t feel so bad now.
Wow. I guess I don’t have it so bad. Thanks for the inspiration!
How far records management has come!
Our controlled environment, enhanced security and automated inventory systems for records storage are fabulous at the State Records Center, but you won’t catch us wearing ties while we research records (Or Climb Mt. Recordsmore).
cow-a-bunga