You may have heard of TSLAC’s Local Government Retention Schedules when you started your new position with a local government. However, perhaps you have not been given much guidance in what they are or even how to use them. So, you find yourself asking this question: “How do I, as a beginner in records management…
It’s April, and that means spring is here! With spring, comes spring cleaning! Out with the old and in with the new. In the Records Management (RM) world that means it’s time to tidy up our records management systems, make sure the team is involved, make sure retention periods are up to date, or start…
Understanding what meets the definition of a “local government record” is important for a local government employee (especially a Records Management Officer). This is because your entity’s local government record is a record that you’re required to keep for a certain amount of time based on laws, rules, and standards associated with the Texas State…
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we wanted to acknowledge the ten things we love about records management. From Webinars to Teamwork, analysts Joslyn Ceasar and Raul Gonzalez wrote about 5 things they each love about records management, and what those things mean to them. Joslyn Ceasar: Joslyn’s approach was to records management and Valentine’s Day…
By Michelle Johnson Managing local government cemetery records can be a spooky business. Texas legislative code is positively haunted with regulations for cemetery operations! We often hear from municipality and county records managers asking, “Am I the custodian of this cemetery record?” Although cemetery record series all have permanent retention periods, it is important to…
For the most part, the minimum retention periods set out in TSLAC’s schedules provide a specific amount of time that records must be kept. However, some record series have the retention period “AV: as long as administratively valuable.” How long should governments keep those types of records? Well, each government will need to make that…
by Erica Rice If you are a close reader of the local or state retention schedules, you may have seen the term “subject file” appear in the descriptions of some of your favorite records series. Subject files are defined in the local schedules as “collections of correspondence, memos and printed materials on various individuals, activities,…
by Brianna Cochran For state agency Records Management Officers or liaisons tasked with recertifying their agency’s records retention schedule, the process can seem a bit overwhelming. This article will help break the process down into more manageable steps. Note: This article only applies to state agencies. For local governments looking to customize their local retention…