1998 Municipal Records Survey

1998 MUNICIPAL RECORDS SURVEY

# TOWNS RESPONDING: 119 (as of 7/22/98)

PERCENTAGE: 48%

FREQUENCY OF RECORDS USE

How many requests a year do you estimate you receive for retrieving or copying records in your custody?

Has use increased or decreased over the past five years?

85.71% INCREASED

8.40% REMAINED THE SAME

4.20% UNKNOWN

1.68% DECREASED

CONDITION OF RECORDS

How would you describe the condition of your records?

"GOOD means no rips, good binding, stable medium such as mylar or alkaline (""acid-free"") paper, no fading of ink, etc."
"ADEQUATE means showing some wear and tear, weakened but intact bindings, no need for immediate conservation."
"FRAGILE means torn, binding broken, paper crumbling, ink faded, at risk from photocopying"

% Good % Adequate % Fragile

paper record 35 53 12

maps/plats 30 61 9

other 16 52 32

STORAGE

Are your records stored in a flood plain?

YES: 6.72%   NO: 91.60%   UNKNOWN: 1.68%

Do you have a vault for your records storage?

YES: 91.60%   NO: 3.36%   SAFE: 5.04%

"If so, "

Is it at least four-hour rated for fire?     YES: 63.79%     NO: 13.79%     UNKNOWN: 22.41%

Does it have temperature control? YES: 21.55% NO: 73.28% UNKNOWN: 5.17%

Does it have humidity control? YES: 13.79% NO: 82.76% UNKNOWN: 3.45%

How long before you current vault space is filled?

1-3 YRS: 19.83%         11-20 YRS: 21.55%         % FULL: 14.66%

4-10 YRS: 24.14% 20+ YRS: 4.31% % UNKNOWN: 15.52%

Do you have roller shelves for your bound volumes? YES: 78.15%       NO: 21.85%

Do you have map cases or hanging files for your maps? YES: 75.63%       NO: 24.37%

PRESERVATION

Do you have a long range preservation plan? YES: 10.92% NO: 89.08%

Do you routinely microfilm your records for:

use copies, to preserve originals YES: 26.05% NO: 73.95%

off-site security YES: 49.58% NO: 51.26%

other (please explain)

Do you keep computerized records?                YES: 51.26% NO: 48.74%

"If so, which records?"

1.64% Agendas 1.64% Fish & Game Lic. 3.28% Minutes

40.98% Bookkeeping 32.79% Grand List 1.64% Prop. Assessment

9.84% Budget 13.11% Land Records 1.64% School Records

1.64% Cemetary Records 16.39% Land Records Index 9.84% Tax Records

34.43% Dog 3.28% Lister 11.48% Vital Records

42.62% Voter Check List

In what format(s) are these records stored?

CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Do you have a long-range conservation plan? YES: 23.53% NO: 76.47%

Have you had conservation work done? YES: 68.07% NO: 31.93%

"If so, when?"

40.00%              Ongoing conservation                               efforts

32.50%               1 to 5 years ago

6.25%                 6 to 10 years ago

16.25%               over 10 years ago

5.00%                 Don't Know

Which records were conserved?

1.23% Indices 2.47% Grand List

1.23% Soldier Rolls 3.70% Minutes

2.47% Highway Books 4.94% General Index

1.23% Didn't Specify 6.17% Maps

1.23% General Ledger 4.94% Town Meeting Records

2.47% Land Records Index 9.88% Town Records

2.47% Proprietors Records 42.62% Surveys

2.47% Cemetary Records 79.01% Land Records

3.70% Charters 79.01% Vital Records

What did the conservation work cost?

PRESERVATION SURCHARGE

Has your municipality adopted the $1 preservation surcharge? YES: 79.83% NO: 20.17%

" If so, when?"

1996    51.58%             1998      5.26%

1997    38.95%             UNSURE    4.21%

How much have you collected during the past two fiscal years?

FY97: _____________; FY98: _____________

Have you used funds from the preservation fee yet? YES: 42.86%
NO: 57.14%

" If so, for what activities did you use the fee for?"

1.96% Card Cabinets 1.96% Didn't Specify

1.96% Roller Shelves 3.92% Acid-free Paper

1.96% General Index 5.88% Binding

1.96% Grand List 13.73% Maps

1.96% Conservation 19.61% Restoration of Books

1.96% Highway Books 19.61% Microfilm

1.96% Town Meeting Books 19.61% Vital Records

1.96% Vault Organzation 43.14% Land Records

Is the $1 surcharge adequate?

YES: 52.54%

NO: 16.10%

UNSURE: 31.36%

"Should the surcharge be dedicated to preservation, go to the municipal general fund or the general operation of the clerk's office?"

69.49% Preservation 1.69% Preservation/General Fund

4.24% General Fund 5.93% Preservation/Operation

7.63% Operation 0.85% General Fund/Operation

"Are you supported by fees, salary, or combination of fees and salaries?"

FEES: 1.74% SALARY: 71.30% COMBO: 26.96%

SUGGESTIONS
"Do you have any suggestions for how best to care for municipal records, including"
"funding mechanisms? Do you see other factors, not covered in this survey, affecting"
the condition of municipal records that should be considered as part of the report to the General Assembly?

	% Adequate	% Fragile
paper record	35	53	12
maps/plats	30	61	9
other	16	52	32

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# TOWNS RESPONDING:	119 (as of 7/22/98)
PERCENTAGE:	48%

85.71%	INCREASED
8.40%	REMAINED THE SAME
4.20%	UNKNOWN
1.68%	DECREASED

Is it at least four-hour rated for fire?	YES: 63.79%	NO: 13.79%	UNKNOWN: 22.41%
Does it have temperature control?	YES: 21.55%	NO: 73.28%	UNKNOWN: 5.17%
Does it have humidity control?	YES: 13.79%	NO: 82.76%	UNKNOWN: 3.45%

1-3 YRS: 19.83%	11-20 YRS: 21.55%	% FULL: 14.66%
4-10 YRS: 24.14%	20+ YRS: 4.31%	% UNKNOWN: 15.52%

Do you have roller shelves for your bound volumes?	YES: 78.15%	NO: 21.85%
Do you have map cases or hanging files for your maps?	YES: 75.63%	NO: 24.37%

Do you have a long range preservation plan?	YES: 10.92%	NO: 89.08%
Do you routinely microfilm your records for:
use copies, to preserve originals	YES: 26.05%	NO: 73.95%
off-site security	YES: 49.58%	NO: 51.26%
other (please explain)

Do you keep computerized records?	YES: 51.26%	NO: 48.74%
"If so, which records?"
1.64% Agendas	1.64% Fish & Game Lic.	3.28% Minutes
40.98% Bookkeeping	32.79% Grand List	1.64% Prop. Assessment
9.84% Budget	13.11% Land Records	1.64% School Records
1.64% Cemetary Records	16.39% Land Records Index	9.84% Tax Records
34.43% Dog	3.28% Lister	11.48% Vital Records
42.62% Voter Check List

Do you have a long-range conservation plan?	YES: 23.53%	NO: 76.47%
Have you had conservation work done?	YES: 68.07%	NO: 31.93%
"If so, when?"
40.00% Ongoing conservation efforts
32.50% 1 to 5 years ago
6.25% 6 to 10 years ago
16.25% over 10 years ago
5.00% Don't Know
Which records were conserved?
1.23% Indices	2.47% Grand List
1.23% Soldier Rolls	3.70% Minutes
2.47% Highway Books	4.94% General Index
1.23% Didn't Specify	6.17% Maps
1.23% General Ledger	4.94% Town Meeting Records
2.47% Land Records Index	9.88% Town Records
2.47% Proprietors Records	42.62% Surveys
2.47% Cemetary Records	79.01% Land Records
3.70% Charters	79.01% Vital Records
What did the conservation work cost?

Has your municipality adopted the $1 preservation surcharge?	YES: 79.83%	NO: 20.17%
" If so, when?"
1996 51.58% 1998 5.26%
1997 38.95% UNSURE 4.21%
How much have you collected during the past two fiscal years?
FY97: _____________;	FY98: _____________
Have you used funds from the preservation fee yet?	YES: 42.86%	NO: 57.14%
" If so, for what activities did you use the fee for?"
1.96% Card Cabinets	1.96% Didn't Specify
1.96% Roller Shelves	3.92% Acid-free Paper
1.96% General Index	5.88% Binding
1.96% Grand List	13.73% Maps
1.96% Conservation	19.61% Restoration of Books
1.96% Highway Books	19.61% Microfilm
1.96% Town Meeting Books	19.61% Vital Records
1.96% Vault Organzation	43.14% Land Records
Is the $1 surcharge adequate?
YES: 52.54%
NO: 16.10%
UNSURE: 31.36%
"Should the surcharge be dedicated to preservation, go to the municipal general fund or the general operation of the clerk's office?"
69.49% Preservation	1.69% Preservation/General Fund
4.24% General Fund	5.93% Preservation/Operation
7.63% Operation	0.85% General Fund/Operation
"Are you supported by fees, salary, or combination of fees and salaries?"
FEES: 1.74%	SALARY: 71.30%	COMBO: 26.96%