What Do I Do with Permanent Records?

Archival records are those records worthy of permanent preservation and special management because of the importance of the information they contain. The County Schedule designates archival records as permanent. Usually only a small portion of an agency's records belong in this category. However, these records have extraordinary significance. They document an agency's origin and history providing evidence of the development of its responsibilities. They are also the memory of the county; they reveal a continuity linking the present with the past. The primary purpose of an archival program is to preserve records permanently needed by the agency itself for carrying out retrospective policy analysis, for ensuring administrative continuity, and for documenting the rights of citizens.

County officials have an obligation to their citizens and posterity to preserve archival records for historical and other research. There are two different approaches for the county agency to meet its responsibility.

The county agency may transfer these records to the State Archives. This approach ensures that the records are housed in secure facilities and are provided with appropriate care. The State Archives is equipped to assist researchers with topics that require using a variety of different records and provides a research center for their use. All records transferred to the Archives are indexed for efficient review by agency staff and the general public.

The county agency may choose to establish and maintain its own archival program. This keeps the archival records near at hand, easily accessible when needed by local officials and local citizens. This would also require the agency to provide secure facilities to house the records and adequate staffing and appropriate indexes to facilitate their use.

The following is a list of records which are usually considered permanent:

These records may be microfilmed, with a majority of the originals being destroyed. Contact the Utah State Archives if assistance is needed (531-3848).

This page was last updated August 5, 2008.