How does the adopted definition of durable medium affect my agency?
Historically, a state agency, political subdivision or local agency was required to seek approval from the Secretary of State, as State Records Administrator, before they could destroy original paper records they were converting to another medium, often utilizing the process of scanning. Since adoption of a definition for durable medium, your agency does not need to seek permission from the State Records Administrator when making decisions about changes. Agencies now have the responsibility to review their processes and determine whether or not transitioning the records from one medium to another meets the definition of durable medium. Additionally, they should carefully research their current records series and ensure there are no requirements (regulations or laws) in existence which require a records series to be maintained in a specific medium (e.g., paper or microfilm) before making any changes.
