Topical posts. General guidance on various subjects in the field of records and information management.
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…
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…
The State Agency Coordinating Committee, Records and Information Management (SACCRIM) is a group for records leaders to get together to discuss recommended opportunities, organizations, strategies, and more! SACCRIM is recommended by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) because it is a free opportunity to hear and discuss with one another your records program…
If you’ve ever been involved in records management, you know that disposition can be harder than putting socks on a rooster. Retention-conscious folders and a good file plan are great tools to set yourself up for success, but you might run into an issue: What happens when we can’t predict the trigger date of a…