By Jan Ferrari, Director of State and Local Records Management and State Records Administrator The history of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission began in the 1830s when Texas was still a Republic. In 1909, the Texas Library and Historical Commission was created to direct the State Library, aid and encourage public libraries, and collect…
By Angela Ossar, Government Information Analyst One common record series on state agency schedules (particularly state university schedules, since one critical function of most universities is the conduct of research) is “Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights.” This is not a series that appears on any of our state and local schedules. So, how long should records…
By Angela Ossar, Government Information Analyst We have gotten quite a few questions about records of elections lately. One question we’ve received is: How long do I keep election preclearance submissions? After doing some research, discussing with colleagues, and speaking with an attorney from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office regarding these preclearance submissions, we have come…
By Angela Ossar, Government Information Analyst This week’s Question of the Week is: Do you have to keep board, commission, or committee members’ employment service records permanently? This question was asked after a discussion of Public Access Option forms at the TMCA Lone Star Chapter’s Records Management Workday on July 14th in Plano. The short…