Records Management
National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks provide the PDF version of Records Management Technical Bulletins.
Appraisal of Local Government Records for Historical Value, available at the New York State Archives and Records Administration website, provides an overview of how to identify, evaluate, and select records that have ongoing historical value.
Guidelines for Vault Size for Storage of Municipal Records by the Connecticut State Library recommends vault size according to the population of a municipality. A very useful document for organizations considering renovation and expansion of their record storage area.
Legal Requirements for Municipal Recordkeeping in New Hampshire
Chapter 33-A of the Revised Statutes Annotated is the legal foundation for recordkeeping in local governments.
Chapter 41 of the Revised Statutes Annotated outlines the duties of town officers in relation to the preservation of records. Chapter 41 is especially important as it governs the town officers' responsibilities for maintaining records and ensuring that the chain of custody is observed.
Site includes the rules as well as retention and disposition schedule established by the Municipal Records Board.
Chapter 126 of the Revised Statutes Annotated governs the disclosure of vital statistics.
Chapter 91-A ensures access to public records and meetings in New Hampshire.
While created for journalists by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, this link provides useful information on how the New Hampshire Freedom of Information Act applies to electronic records.
This site provides the text of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA). Text of the act is also found in Uniform Laws Annotated, Master Edition, Volume 7A Pt. I (West Law, 1968-.).
Uniform Laws Annotated are drafted under the auspices of National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Law. The New Hampshire, as well as other states, have adopted the UETA to ensure uniformity in the legislation that governs electronic records.
UETA is adopted into the New Hampshire session laws in the form of RSA Title XXVII, Chapter 294-E. While UETA is complex, it has and will affect how local governments conduct business using electronic records, as well as how they manage electronic records. The following sections are integral to how the law applies to the acceptance and use of electronic records by government agencies, their admissibility in court as evidence, and their retention and preservation.
Section 249:E-12 sets forth the requirements for retaining an electronic record.
Section 294-E-18 is the foundation for the acceptance and distribution of electronic records by governmental bodies, including local governments.
Other New Hampshire Resources
The Dartmouth College Library Preservation Services Department provides a helpful website containing A Simple Book Repair Manual and tips on selecting a conservator and other preservation topics.
Website of the New Hampshire State Historical Records Advisory Board. Contains a list of board members and information on applying for grants from the National Historical Records and Publications Commission among other links.
|
