Archives News

August 21, 2012

GRAMA Request and Appeal Time Limits

        The Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) provides time limits for both responding to requests and appealing denials. These time limits, found in Utah Code sections 63G-2-204 and 401-404, are important because they protect rights and define responsibilities. A requestor is entitled to a response within a reasonable timeframe. If the requestor is not satisfied with the response he or she must appeal
August 7, 2012

Adhering to GRAMA Changes

The Utah State Archives’ staff is busy preparing to implement the online training which was mandated in legislative changes to the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) during the 2012 Utah State Legislature General Session and which will become effective on January 1, 2013. The changes to Title 63G, Chapter 2 of GRAMA includes the following: “Each records officer
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July 19, 2012

Navigating the GRAMA Appeals Process

A GRAMA request is a written request for access to government records pursuant to Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act.  A governmental entity that receives a request can respond in one of the following ways: 1) provide the requested record, 2) provide a notice of denial that explains why all or part of the record should be withheld, 3)
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June 13, 2012

Understanding the 2012 GRAMA Updates

Each year, the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) is updated. In Spring, the Division of Archives and Records Service provides a consolidated copy of the GRAMA law on our website. In 2012, fourteen minor changes were made to GRAMA. These changes include amendments to the existing law and two newly enacted sections. Newly Enacted GRAMA Sections 63G-2-108. Certification
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May 31, 2012

Records Laws Webpage Updates

           The dictionary defines ‘laws’ as “a body of rules and principles governing the affairs of a community and enforced by a political authority.”  In keeping with that definition, records laws are the body of rules and principles governing records, including all aspects of their creation, identification, use, and maintenance or destruction. Deciding who has access to government records has
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December 9, 2011

Simplifying Access to Government Records

Simplifying Access to Government Records One duty of a records officer is to provide public access to government records. To help simplify the records request process, records officers and the public should be clear about the records or information requested. Records retention schedules can be used as a tool to accomplish this. Some questions to ask are: Where are the records kept?
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September 29, 2011

Moving Utah's General Retention Schedules Forward

It has been over a decade since the Utah State Archives and Records Service did a comprehensive review of its general retention schedules. Since then a great deal has changed in the way that states and non-governmental entities manage their records. The nature of records is changing, or maybe more accurately has changed, as centuries old analog formats are being
September 22, 2011

State Records Committee Meeting Minutes (1992-2009) are Available Online

The first State Records Committee (SRC) meeting was held on September 30, 1992. The committee will celebrate its 19th birthday this month. In the years following the first meeting, the SRC heard approximately 238 cases, an average of 12.52 cases per year. Meeting minutes from 1992- 2009 are now available online. Decisions and Orders of the SRC from 1992- present are also
September 7, 2011

September ARMA Chapter Meeting at Archives

The Utah State Archives will host ARMA Utah – Salt Lake Chapter’s first meeting after the summer break on Thursday, September 15, 2011. The chapter meeting will be held from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM in the Archives’ courtyard training room located on the first floor of the Utah State Archives Building (346 South Rio Grande Street, SLC). Mindy Spring
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August 30, 2011

Drafts: A Records Management and Access Enigma Explained

The Government Records Access Management Act (GRAMA) clearly defines what a record is and what a record is not in the state of Utah. One of the most frequently asked questions received by the State Archives is: “How do I handle drafts?” In total, there are six references to drafts in GRAMA that address management and classification. One reason why