We recently announced that we are updating the Texas State Library and Archives Commission’s guidance and best practice for Inventorying and Scheduling Records aka Bulletin C. This announcement was made during our State and Local Government RMO meetings on April 19 and April 21, 2022. Bulletin C: Inventorying and Scheduling Records, contains helpful tips on…
Sometimes, the Sunset Commission “sunsets” state agencies. But what does that mean? “In government, ‘Sunset’ reviews regularly assess the need for a state agency or program to exist. In Texas, the Sunset process works by setting an expiration (Sunset) date in law for state agencies. An agency will automatically be abolished on its Sunset date…
The records management assistance unit at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) receives many questions from state agencies when it comes to recertifying retention schedules. A question we commonly receive concerns the “R” code; what does “R – Archival Review” mean, and what does the State Archives have to do with it? TSLAC…
Recently, TSLAC Government Information Analyst Joslyn Ceasar had the opportunity to talk to a record and information professional with extensive experience in and knowledge of the records management field. Barry Primes has spent 30 years in records management in the federal, local, military, and private sectors. Recently, Primes moved to Houston after retiring from the…
Data is everywhere—when we click, swipe, type, or Skype, data is created and stored into various databases. What happens when that data is breached, identities are stolen, privacy is lost, or loss of property occurs? For public agencies, data breaches can result in loss of confidential or valuable information. What does this have to do…
The Archives and Information Services division at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has a sophisticated electronic records processes. Many agencies who submit their records to the Archives, may not know how their records are incorporated into TSLAC’s archival inventory. During e-Records 2020 Brian Thomas, an Electronic Records Specialist at TSLAC, presented “What…
When most people think of archives, the first thing that comes to mind is Indiana Jones swinging on vines and storing artifacts in giant rooms. While that is an interesting popular image, the archives and archivists here at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) are the protectors of documented history. The State Archives…
Contributing Author: Normel ChatmonRecords Analyst Fort Bend ISD Police Department September is National Preparedness Month. However, for some local governments, being prepared may be challenging—especially in the records world and specifically, in ISD police department records. So the question to all of Texas independent school district police departments: is your records management department prepared for…