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OhioERC updates two records management resources

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The Ohio ERC has released updated versions of two of its guidance documents:

Recordkeeping System Procurement: Selecting and implementing an electronic recordkeeping system is a significant investment for any organization. The revised Recordkeeping System Procurement tip sheet provides practical guidance for planning and managing the procurement process. It explains the purpose of a Request for Proposal (RFP), identifies key stakeholders who should be involved, and outlines essential elements of a successful procurement effort, including requirements gathering, budgeting, vendor evaluation and contract negotiations. The resource is designed to help organizations make informed decisions and identify systems that meet both operational and records management needs.

Tips for “Who Should Be at the Table”: Successful records management depends on collaboration across an organization. The updated Tips for Who Should Be at the Table publication outlines the three groups that play critical roles in records and information governance initiatives: the records commission, department records coordinators, and the information governance committee. The revised tip sheet explains the responsibilities of each group and highlights how they work together to support compliance, policy development, electronic records management, and organizational decision-making.

Both resources are available on the OhioERC website and provide valuable guidance for public offices seeking to improve records management practices, implement new technologies, and build stronger information governance programs.

A World Without Microfilm: How Local Governments are Leading the Charge in Digital Preservation – Part II

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Following last month’s blog post, this month’s post will discuss the current work that is being done by the Digital Initiatives & Standards Committee (DISC) and what the next steps are for creating a digital preservation guide for the State of Ohio.

DISC has partnered with state records organizations, including the Ohio Electronic Records Committee, the Ohio History Connection, and the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board. In conjunction with these partnerships, DISC has established three subcommittees to determine standards and best practices for electronic records. The Microfilm committee has been tasked to determine the cost-effectiveness and long-term reliability of microfilm. Initial findings include: a significant price increase in microfilm supplies, a lack of product options, the impracticality of microfilm accessibility, and the obsolescence of microfilm equipment and repair.

If local governments decide to forego microfilm as a document preservation option and go the route of digital preservation, the Microfilm Subcommittee recommends the following to be considered:

  • Update retention schedules to reflect retaining electronic media and removing microfilm;
  • Plan to digitize microfilm (priorities, cost, staff, and time);
  • Research and invest in a digital preservation system.

The Minimum Standards Subcommittee has been meeting and working on coming up with digital standards, which include the following objectives:

  • Preferred digital file types (including DPI (dots per inch) and compression standards);
  • Standard and uniform naming conventions of records;
  • Implementing quality control standards when scanning records;
  • Applying sufficient metadata for searchability purposes.

The Security Subcommittee has discussed best practices for the security of electronic records. The following recommendations have been proposed:

  • Access/Restriction to certain records;
  • Understanding the difference between an access copy and a preservation copy, and what electronic document format they should be in;
  • Establishing the security controls for staff and internal/external users
  • Understanding explicitly the contract when dealing with a third-party system;
  • Having a disaster recovery plan in place.

Each of the three subcommittees will be compiling a report to address/review with the entire Digital Initiatives and Standards Committee this year. DISC hopes to have an Archives & Records Administration Permanent Electronic Records Guideline released in 2027. 

A World Without Microfilm: How Local Governments are Leading the Charge in Digital Preservation

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In October 2025, the National Association of Government Archives & Records Administrators (NAGARA) hosted an online forum centered on Advocacy for Archives. Two Ohio Electronic Records Committee members, Tina Ratcliff and Elise Kelly (along with Stephen Badenhop, Director of Archives and Records Manager for Union County, Ohio), co-presented on the future of microfilm and how Ohio’s local governments are adapting to these changes.

The presentation centered on three phases: “How did we get here?” “Where are we now?”, and
“What are we doing to face a future without microfilm?”

For this blog post, we are going to focus on the first phase, “How did we get here?”, and the subsequent blog post will center on phases two and three. Phase one touched upon the usage of microfilm for historical preservation purposes of permanent records. Since the 1950s, Ohio and its local government repositories have utilized microfilm for preserving historical and permanent records.

The obsolescence of microfilm and the emergence of digital records have been frequent topics of discussion among archivists and records managers across the nation for the past couple of years. In addition, supplies and the production of microfilm have become more tenuous in recent years. In 2025, Fuji Film, a major microfilm supplier, announced that it would no longer manufacture microfilm.  Discussing these issues became a focal point at a Spring 2025 Ohio County Archivists & Records Managers Association (CARMA) meeting.

It was determined at this meeting that a committee (the Digital Initiatives & Standards Committee (DISC)) would be formed to create a guide on how to transition from microfilm permanent record preservation to electronic permanent record preservation. DISC’s goal is to “establish best practices, guidelines, and consistent standards for the creation and maintenance of electronic records and to ensure they are retained in a trustworthy, accessible, and reliable manner.”

In next month’s blog post, we will discuss the DISC committee’s current work and projects, and outline the next steps for the digital preservation guide.