Topical posts. General guidance on various subjects in the field of records and information management.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
When it comes to census records, most Americans are aware the Census Bureau conducts the decennial census count of the population in the United States. This count is mandated by law in the US Constitution as a way to not only count the population, but also to aid in determining governmental representation and the distribution…