Migration: How to Begin and Where to Go

Given the fast-paced nature of technology and how quickly systems and formats can reach obsolescence, inevitably state agencies need to migrate agency information, data, and records to newer systems and devices. Whenever TSLAC receives inquiries on this topic, it’s a Catch-22; the analysts exist to help and guide state agencies on records management, however the…

How to Determine Local Government Status

Hopefully I’m not revealing a huge secret when I say a large part of the analysts’ responsibilities involves receiving, reviewing and processing local government compliance paperwork. Considering there are over 10,000 local governments across Texas, it keeps us pretty busy, especially since we end up receiving local government compliance paperwork from entities and departments that…

FAQ: Do I have to keep copies of records I produced to fulfill a public information request?

Recently TSLAC has received a flurry of questions from state agencies and local governments about retaining records related to public information requests. Some people have asked if the government must make extra copies of the requested records and retain the extra copies with the correspondence and documentation that initiates, processes, and responds to the request. The answer is…

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-highsm-02036

Social Media Policies and Procedures

Creating policies for social media records is vital to successfully managing those records and notifying the public of the areas that impact their use of agency social media tools.We’ve previously discussed the benefits and challenges of using social media, identification and retention of social media, and we outlined some methods of capturing these records. So…

Capturing Social Media Records

Once you tackle determining whether social media content are records, the job is not quite done; capturing social media records is an extremely important aspect to successfully managing the records. Social media capture helps guarantee your government body has access to the records for review, use and, ultimately, destruction at the end of its retention…

Records Liaisons and Where to Find Them

Updated March 3, 2022 Are you the lone wolf Records Management Officer leading the charge and taking the responsibility of records management in your organization? Maybe you’re fine just the way you are, but maybe you’d like a little help now and again to help implement the records management program and keep things running smoothly.…