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Records Services


Records Management

Q. Just what do you mean by public records?

The legal definition of public records includes "all books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, recordings, or other documentary materials regardless of physical form or characteristics prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by a public body." As you can see, this broad definition includes paper, microfilm and electronic records.

Q. I have a lot of records in my office.  I need more room. Can I go ahead and dispose of the records?

You first need to contact your agency’s records officer. He or she should be able to tell you whether or not the records in question have a records retention schedule. This is a document which describes the records and tells you how long to keep them. If no specific schedule exists for these records, the records officer can either implement General Schedules, if applicable, or arrange to have those records inventoried and scheduled. Please remember that all public records are disposed of in accordance with records retention schedules.

Q. Many of the files in my work area are personal - things like general memos, copies of my leave slips, and subject files created by me.  Are these public records?

Yes. If they were created as part of your job they are considered to be public records. Unless you are an elected official, agency director, deputy director, or division head these files can generally be purged when they are no longer needed for reference. Please remember to contact your records officer before you do this.

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State Government Records Management

Q. What role does the records officer play in my agency's records management program?

The South Carolina Public Records Act designates the chief administrative officer of each state agency as the legal custodian of all records created or maintained by the agency, and he or she is therefore responsible for the creation, filing, maintenance, and disposition of those records. The Public Records Act also states that the agency head may appoint a records officer to act in his or her behalf. The records officer coordinates the overall records management program for the agency and works closely with personnel from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

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Local Government Records Management

Q. Our local government has only limited funds but there are numerous records of historical value that we would like to have microfilmed for security purposes as well as to facilitate research use.  Can you help us establish priorities so that we film the most important records first?

Yes, through the use of record retention schedules as well as taking into account the condition of the record, its age, and whether any of the information may be summarized elsewhere, we can help you establish such priorities. There is no hard and fast rule for each and every department in all counties, municipalities, and school districts. This can only be done on a case by case basis working with each local government entity.

Q. Is there a list of records in county government that need to be microfilmed?

Yes, through on-site visits to each county by archives staff in 1998-1999, a list was developed. It is updated regularly and is available on-line at http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/mfmcnty/countymfm.htm.

Q. If local government records are sent to the SC Archives for microfilming, can the submitting government have access to them while they are in Columbia?

Yes, material being microfilmed can be accessed while here at the Archives and History Center. We can fax copies of individual records so that the local office can meet the needs of its researchers while their records are off-site.

Q. Can you assist those of us in a special purpose district?

Yes, most definitely. Because we haven’t had the extensive experience with the special purpose districts that we have with county and municipal governments, we do not yet have general schedules that apply to your Special Purpose distriricts. Legally, the general schedules for municipalities, counties or school districts cannot be applied to special purpose districts but we can work with you to prepare specific schedules for your records. All local governments, including special purpose districts, need to be mindful of the care of their governing body records (Minutes, Ordinances, Resolutions) as well as key financial records (General Ledgers, Audits, Budgets) and seek to have these microfilmed.

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