Washington State Archives
Records Management
Local Records Grant Program
April 2009
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Washington State Archives, Olympia
Washington State Archives 1963
Preserves and provides public access to legal and
historically valuable records from state government
agencies.
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Regional Branch System, 1980s
Mission:
Preserve
archival
records for
public use,
and serve
as the focal
points for
services to
local
governmen
t.
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Local Records Grant Program
WAC 434-670
Created in 2001 to provide financial assistance to
local government officials to support records
management and preservation efforts.
Administered by the Washington State Archives
Office of the Secretary of State
and
The Archives Oversight Committee
(comprised of local government elected officials and representatives)
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Grant Program Funding
RCW 36.22.175
Branch archives and grant program are
both funded by:
• County Auditors - collect fee for each
document recorded
• County Clerks - collect fee on tax warrants
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Local Records Grant Program
Imaging and preservation of
archival and essential records
•having fiscal, legal or historical value
•or which are essential to business operations
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Archival Records
WAC 434-663-240
Archival records are records that have
permanent and/or historical value and are
scheduled as archival
•Minutes, ordinances, resolutions
•Deeds, titles
•SEPA determinations
•Land surveys
•Maps, drawings, photos
•Building construction permits
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Essential Records
Chapter 40.10 RCW: “In order to provide
for the continuity and preservation of civil
government, each elected and appointed
officer of the state shall designate those
public documents which are essential records
of his office and needed in an emergency and
for the reestablishment of normal operations
after any such emergency.”
•Minutes, ordinances, resolutions (archival)
•Payroll registers (long-term)
•Council board meeting packets (permanent)
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

How safe are my agency’s records ???
• Are funds available to reconstruct damaged/destroyed
records?
• How long before serious damage to agency’s
operation? 3 months? Two weeks? A day?
• Are records replaceable from another
source, agency, or office?
• Are digitized images sufficient to substitute for the
original records?
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

How safe are my agency’s records ???
Fire Department, Ilwaco
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

How safe are my agency’s records ???
County Records Storage
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

City of Fife - $9,841
Scan and microfilm Fife City Council minutes, ordinances and
resolutions (1957 to present) for access and preservation
“This was the first time we’d received any grants
in our City Clerk’s department, so it was a big deal
to us.
As our entire city is now included in a recently
revised 100 year flood plain, off-site record storage
was a critical need.
Thanks to this grant, we have now significantly met
our records-related mitigation plan for our
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.”
Steve Marcotte
Finance Director and City
Clerk
Documenting Democracy
Washington State Archives
City of Fife

City of Fife’s original, archival records now reside at
the Puget Sound Regional Archives in Bellevue…
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

…and the images are available online at the Digital
Archives website: www.digitalarchives.wa.gov
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Minutes from the
first meeting of
the Fife City
Council
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Who Can Apply?
WAC 434-670-030
All local government entities, including special
purpose districts.
•
• Law enforcement
School districts
•
• Housing authorities
Fire districts
•
• Transit authorities
County officials
•
• Public works
City officials
•
• Health departments
Library districts
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Types of Projects Eligible for Grants
• Preservation of archival/essential records
• Records Management – planning and
inventories
• Security backup microfilm for records that exist
only in paper form
• Essential equipment (microfilm reader, metal
shelving, archive boxes)
• Improved access to records via scanning
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

(No Names Mentioned) School District -
$17,445
Scan and microfilm school board minutes and high school
transcripts (1915 to present), metal shelving,
part-time personnel, and a filing cabinet
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

“A+” School District!!
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Longview Parks & Recreation $1,634
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Grant Program History
2002 7 Grants $100,000
2003-2005 22 Grants $200,000
2005-2007 54 $500,000
Grants
$ 898,438
2007-2009 93 Grants
So far…
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Decision Criteria
• Urgency of need
• Critical records problems
• Significance and age of records
• Soundness of methods proposed
• Best practices
• Local commitment to preservation of
records
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

2009-2011 Grant Cycle
Guidelines, funding
priorities, and application
materials
will be available in
Spring of 2009
www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/gran
ts
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Local Records Grant Program Online
www:secstate.wa.gov/archives/grants
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy

Thank you, Records
Managers!
Washington State Archives:
Partners in preservation and access
www.secstate.wa.gov/archives
Washington State Archives Documenting Democracy