A fork in a woodland path.

Transferring Local Government Records

At the end of a record’s life cycle, destruction is the most common end. But there is another path: transferring the record to another entity for long-term preservation. For records with historical value, this may be an excellent option. So, how can local governments transfer their records? The Local Government Code spells out the conditions…

A vinyl record on a blue background with the words Off the Record and the TSLAC logo in white.

Off the Record: Social Media

Welcome back to our occasional series “Off the Record,” a curated collection of articles we found interesting on a broad range of topics, some which are directly related to records management and others which might share common themes. No, we didn’t write these articles—hence the name of this series, “Off the Record”— but, fortunately, we…

The words "Local Government Training" over employees in a classroom listening to a lecture.

Remote Training for Local Governments!

We are excited to announce that we will be conducting free introductory records management classes via Zoom for local governments on: These classes are free for local government employees in Texas. Visit our training page for registration instructions. Class Description Records Management Basics for Local Governments – 3-Hour Webinar This course is an abbreviated mashup of our…

A Fujifilm camera sits on an off-white background with the lens pointed to the lower left corner of the frame.

See What Develops with Our Imaging Services Department

One of the ways we at the State and Local Records Management Division (SLRM) assist state agencies and local governments in ensuring records and information are accessible for the short-, medium-, and long-term is by operating a full-service, cost-recovery image conversion center, the Imaging Services Department. We recently asked Imaging Services Supervisor Jacqueline Jacobs and…

The words "You Ask, We Answer" over two puzzle pieces labeled "Q" and "A" as well as the TSLAC logo.

Rube Goldberg Reports and Investigations

Classifying local government records can feel like a Rube Goldberg machine. A light marble (Outlook meeting notice) will float over a weighted ramp, launching itself through the funnel of GR1000-26c, Routine Correspondence. Let’s switch the marble to a metal ball (regular operational correspondence). The metal ball doesn’t weigh the ramp down, but its weight pulls…

hurricane over the ocean

Resources for Hurricane Beryl

If you’re a local government whose records were damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Beryl, we’ve put together these guidelines and resources on disaster recovery from a records perspective and encourage you to read through them. If you have specific questions or you’re feeling in over your head with records management, contact your regional analyst. Do…

Welcome

Adding to Our Team

The records management assistance team at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission welcomes our newest analyst, Ella Castro! Read more about Ella who is now the point of contact for local governments in the Southeast region of Texas. The Southeast region is comprised of the following counties: Chambers Jefferson Fort Bend Liberty Galveston Montgomery…