Services to State and Local Governments

A primary function of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History is to work in partnership with state agency and local government officials in the proper management of their records and to identify and preserve for public access those of historical/archival value. The statutory basis for the Archives’ records management program is contained in the Public Records Act (PDF) (Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976, as amended, Sections 30-1-10 through 30-1-170).

In carrying out this function, the Archives’ Records Management Division provides advisory services to these officials in the proper management of their records for the entire records' lifecycle, including retention, disposition, and preservation.  The Records Management Division also advises on all major aspects of records management, including:

• providing records management training upon request;
• developing and issuing records retention schedules to authorize the legal disposition of public records;
• digitizing documents of all types, including microfilm;
• storing master copy long-term microfilm for county and state agency offices;
• developing standards and regulations, and technical publications;
• providing temporary storage for inactive paper state agency records;
• giving guidance and assistance in the event of a disaster.

The Records Management Division also produces a quarterly newsletter.  Current and past issues are available at the Records Management Newsletter page.

For more information about the records management program of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History or to schedule an in-person or virtual training session for yourself or your staff, contact the Records Management Division, or call Erin Lowry at 803-896-6128.