| A topical index to MRSC's information resources. |
General Government: G 5.9510 - Management of electronic public records
Electronic Documents (15 Results)
- Attorney General informal opinion by Kyle Crews re application of WAC 434-662 to local governments.
Other Gov Doc | Document Date: 4/09
Jurisdiction: WA State - Retaining records in electronic format
Policy/Procedure | Document Date: nd
Jurisdiction: Seattle - Electronic records disposal
Policy/Procedure | Document Date: nd
Jurisdiction: Seattle - Records retention cost-benefit analysis, Washington State Secretary of State
Other Gov Doc | Document Date: 10/08
Jurisdiction: WA State - Explanation of edits to WAC 434-662
Other Gov Doc | Document Date: 10/08
Jurisdiction: WA State - Ch. 434-662 WAC - Preservation of electronic public records
Ordinance | Document Date: 10/08
Jurisdiction: WA State - Ordinance No. 2008-34 - Amends Ch. 2.08, Superior Court Clerk – Electronic Data Access Services, revising the fees to be charged by the clerk for subscription accounts for electronic access to superior court records for those who are resellers of data
Ordinance | Document Date: 6/08
Jurisdiction: Pierce County - Presentation - Toolkit for the Future:
Electronic Records Preservation - Washington State Archives
Other Gov Doc | Document Date: 7/08
Jurisdiction: WA State - Presentation - Washington State Archives partners with Association of County and City Information
Other Gov Doc | Document Date: 7/08
Jurisdiction: WA State - "Applicability of the Washington State Open Public Meetings Act to E-mail Exchanges," by Phil Olbrechts, Ogden Murphy Wallace
Article | Document Date: 8/01 - Electronic Records Retention Policy No. 218
Other Gov Doc | Document Date: 9/02
Jurisdiction: Vancouver - Policy for email communication between and among councilmembers, city staff and citizens
Other Gov Doc | Document Date: 12/03
Renton - Administrative policy concerning electronic data
Other Gov Doc
Longview - Policy and procedure regarding electronic records
Policy/Procedure | Document Date: 10/94
Bellevue - Resolution No. 483 - Regarding electronic access to the city's GIS data
Ordinance
Mountlake Terrace
Paper Documents (4 Results)
- "Spring cleaning to ensure transparency: what is a public record?" by S. Ellis Hankins. Alabama Municipal Journal, May 2009
Request this document | Document Date: 5/09
Jurisdiction: Other State - "Forensic computer search for public records required," by Stanley J. Dobrowski. Ohio Cities and Villages, March/April 2009
Request this document | Document Date: 4/09
Jurisdiction: Other State - "E-mail Policy for Local Government," developed by Oregon State Archives
Request this document | Document Date: nd
Jurisdiction: Other State - "For the Record: E-mail, the Web, Database and other computer-based tools have complicated states' records management efforts," by Heather Harreld, News Digest, International Institute of Municipal Clerks, April 2000, pp. 3-5
Request this document | Document Date: 04/00
MRSC Library Catalog Documents
Featured Inquiries (2 Results)
- Can a city, county or special district print out e-mail records that need to be maintained, and then just delete the actual e-mails?
No. Electronic records, such as e-mails, need to be maintained in the original format. When e-mails are printed metadata is lost. See WAC 44-14-05001.
- Request for sample electronic records management policies.
Most Washington local government electronic records management policies are based on the Washington State Archives requirements and records retention schedules for local governments. The State Archives has issued several useful publications, including the guidelines for electronic mail policies and records management (see links below). While an electronic records management policy generally addresses the retention of all electronic records, in practice many of these policies deal primarily with E-mail. Sometimes local government network use and Internet use are covered as well.The following are issues that are appropriately addressed in an electronic records management policy:
- Creation of records
- Proper and improper uses (especially related to E-mail and Internet use)
- Public disclosure, privacy/confidentiality, and other legal issues
- Records retention requirements
- Maintenance and management of records
- Retrieval of electronic records
- Monitoring of records and enforcement of policy (including city's right to access)
- Security.
Such policies typically include a purpose and definitions sections. Other specific topics may include use of electronic signatures, geographic information systems, and copyright.
Rules have been adopted regarding the preservation of electronic records - see chapter 434-662 WAC. The State Archivist Office has prepared a list of "Frequently Asked Questions for Digital WAC 434-662"; that document also answers questions regarding archiving of local government electronic records at the state digital archives.
Also see the MRSC Research Brief, "Internet and E-Mail Policies" (1998).
Washington State and Local Government Information
- Washington State Archives, Records and Information Management Publications for State and Local Government Agencies
- "Local Government Agencies of Washington State, Records Management Guidelines," 2001 (see Electronic Records Systems, p. 25+ and Electronic Mail, p. 27+)
- "Local Government Agencies of Washington State, Records Management Guidelines and General Records Retention Schedules," 2002 (see p. 69 - Electronic Information)
- MRSC page on Electronic Public Records
- MRSC page on E-mail and Internet policies (Many of these articles and policies are from the 1990s. Some of the more recent policies include those from Bothell, Lynnwood, Omak and Woodland.)
- MRSC page on Records Management
- MRSC page on Public Records Disclosure
General Articles
- "Some Assembly Required: Building a Digital Government for the 21st Century," Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany / SUNY, 1999 (See p. 26)
- "Models for Action: Developing Practical Approaches to Electronic Records Management and Preservation"
Policies from Other States
- Minnesota State Archives - Electronic Records Management Guidelines
- Utah Division of State Archives, Electronic Records Policy and general electronic records information (includes links to many documents from other states)
Other Information on Archival Standards
- "Guide for Managing Electronic Records from an Archival Perspective," International Council on Archives, 1997
- University Archives Group, Standards for an Electronic Records Policy
Subject Pages (3 Results)
- Electronic Public Records
Electronic public record access, retention and disclosure. - Electronic Records, Public Disclosure and Privacy
Examines issues raised by the disclosure of local government electronic records. Presentation to the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys, Spokane, WA, October 5, 2000, by Steve Gross and Ted Inkley, Seattle City Attorney's Office - Records Management
This page provides links to information about records management

