FY2008 Annual Report
May 15, 2009
Governor Nixon and Members of the General Assembly:
I am proud to share with you the Records Services Division Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2008 (FY08). This Division consists of three units: Missouri State Archives, Local Records Preservation Program, and State Records Management Program. These three units work collaboratively to preserve government records and make them available to the citizens of Missouri. The Division's success is evident in the release of new historical resources, creation of educational programs, and financial and technical assistance provided to citizens and public officials throughout the state.
The Missouri State Archives is committed to fostering an appreciation of our common past through increased access to historical records and educational opportunities. This year the staff assisted over 35,000 patrons in-person and through telephone, e-mail, and postal requests. Internet searches continue to grow at an ever-increasing pace.
During FY08, the Archives continued to add digitized records, educational resources, research guides, and other resources to its award-winning website, http://www.MissouriDigitalHeritage.com. The Missouri Death Certificate Database, a searchable online index with over 2.1 million death certificates from 1910-1957, was first released in April 2006. The remaining certificates were made available online by April 2009, over a year ahead of schedule. Additionally, the Archives continues to provide free public programming through its Evening Program Series. In FY08, transcripts and videos of the programs were made available online, making programs available to audiences unable to attend the programming series. Such accomplishments and ongoing projects have made the Missouri State Archives a leader in online historical research. Family Tree Magazine selected the Archives' website as one of the best in the country for the sixth consecutive year. At the National Genealogical Society's (NGS) Annual Conference in Kansas City in May 2008, the Missouri State Archives was awarded the Award of Merit for its exceptional contribution to the field of genealogy over a five-year period.
The Local Records Preservation Program helps county and municipal governments preserve their records and make them accessible to the public. Local Records archivists provided in-depth records consultations, helped public officials inventory records, dispose of extraneous documents, created computerized indexes, and preserved and microfilmed records of historical value. During FY08, field archivists provided support for the Local Records grant program by conducting ten workshops across the state and consulting with applicants to review proposed projects. Local Records Preservation projects currently underway have revealed previously unknown information dating to the beginning of statehood. The Local Records Preservation Program also has the state's only publicly-funded conservation laboratory for paper-based documents. In FY08, conservators treated a variety of significant local government records including a rare Daviess County Court case in which a private citizen brought suit against Frank and Jesse James for the theft of a horse after a bank robbery in 1869.
The State Records Management Program promotes the efficiency and continuity of state government by providing state agencies with the resources necessary to manage their records effectively. Staff members help state agencies develop guidelines for the retention of documents, offer training on records management, and provide off-site storage. At the end of FY07, the Records Management Division purchased a records tracking system that was implemented throughout FY08. All three sections of Records Management worked with bar-coding boxes and shelves, and migrated data for 280,000 boxes, 255,000 rolls of microfilm, and over 8,000 record series. This SMART (State of Missouri Agency Records Tracking) system is expected to reduce the turnaround time for updating and creating agency retention schedules as well as give agencies easier access to their records. During FY08, the State Records Center accepted 27,360 cubic feet of records for off-site storage. Acting on behalf of state agencies, the staff disposed of over 29,551 cubic feet of records that had met their legal retention requirements. Due to Records Management staff's efforts to get agencies to sign-off on records that are eligible for destruction, for the first time in twenty years, the records center had a net reduction of boxes taken in versus destroyed.
I am pleased to lead a Division whose efforts are of such benefit to the state and its taxpayers. The Records Services Division places a priority on the "public" in public records. In focused and creative ways, the Division is efficiently delivering public records into the hands and onto the computer screens of our citizens and government officials. This report highlights the achievements mentioned above and many others. I invite you to take a closer look at the Records Services Division and discover where the story of our state begins.
Very truly yours,
Robin Carnahan
Secretary of State