We live in Texas – the state that can rightfully boast of being susceptible to nearly every kind of extreme weather scenario. In this young century, we’ve endured hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, wildfires, blistering droughts, flooding: you name it – we’ve experienced it. Texas is also not immune from human errors like electrical fires, accidental…
[Updated 7/6/2020]: On July 2, 2020, the U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued guidance requiring that all Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grant documentation be retained for 5 years. Visit the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s website for more information about CARES funds. The analysts here at TSLAC have been getting…
Author: Michael Shea 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 materials related to Texas history. In 1947, the Texas Legislature…
Over the past several years, cyber criminals have hacked into records management systems at the federal, state, and local levels. Once the criminals gain access to the system, they plant a virus, causing problems when trying to retrieve records from these systems. The virus is a malicious string of software known as ransomware because after…
This is the sixth post of a multi-part recap of the 2017 e-Records Conference. Presentation materials from the conference are available on the e-Records 2017 website. Information Governance: Take Control and Succeed The Public Information Act and Updates from 85th Legislative Session TSLAC Wants Your Electronic Records Establishing Information Governance for Local Governments in Microsoft…
We are cross-posting an important entry from Texas State Librarian Mark Smith’s blog. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission, in cooperation with the Texas Library Association, has been working to identify disaster recovery resources and options for use by libraries in the Houston and gulf coast area. First, it is important to be aware…
An important element of managing government records is planning for and recovering from natural disasters. In our consulting and training courses we advise securing the safety of personnel first and foremost, and then sorting out any damage to vital records in your office. While we are still waiting for the storm to disappear, recovery efforts…
Author: Michael Shea Frequently Asked Questions, and Some Questions that have never been asked about the State Records Center. Here are the answers to some of the FAQs I get from customers and some others that I just made up. How many records do you store there? This answer changes every time I hear the…