The Records Management and Preservation Board (RMPB) has awarded $349,360 in grant funds to 37 West Virginia county commissions for records management and preservation projects. The Board reviewed submissions and made its recommendations in January for projects to improve management, storage conditions, accessibility, and preservation of public records held in county offices. Following official letters announcing the successful grants, RMPB staff will provide technical assistance in setting up the grant projects, which officially begin with the new fiscal year (July 1, 2020). A complete list of recipients is attached.
The RMPB was created by the West Virginia Legislature in 2000 to develop a system of records management and preservation for county governments. Funding for the grants program comes from filing fees collected by county clerks and deposited in the special Public Records and Preservation Account. Applications for the next grant cycle will be available September 1, 2020.
For more information about the Records Management and Preservation Board's annual grant program or the work of the RMPB, contact Denise Ferguson, county records archivist, West Virginia Archives and History, at (304) 558-0230, ext. 150 or [email protected], or by mail at Records Management and Preservation Board, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Building 9, Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Information can be accessed electronically at www.wvculture.org/history/rmpb/rmpb.html.
Barbour County Commission, $6,227 to digitize oil and gas lease books, deed books, and deed of trust index books in the county clerk's office, and for personnel costs to review and implement the records retention schedule in the prosecuting attorney's office.
Berkeley County Council, $10,000 to index digital images of case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Boone County Commission, $10,000 to purchase a large format scanner and printer to digitize maps and oversize books in the county clerk's office.
Braxton County Commission, $9,091 to digitize chancery case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Brooke County Commission, $10,000 to digitize deed books in the county clerk's office.
Cabell County Commission, $10,000 to purchase shelving for the county clerk's office.
Clay County Commission, $9,865 to index digital images of deed and judgement lien books in the county clerk's office.
Fayette County Commission, $8,561 to purchase moveable track shelving for records in the sheriff's office.
Grant County Commission, $7,843 to digitize deed, will, fiduciary, release, and deed of trust books in the county clerk's office.
Greenbrier County Commission, $13,508 to purchase roller shelving for oversize books, a map cabinet, and Mylar sleeves to encapsulate maps in the county clerk's office.
Hampshire County Commission, $7,273 to scan and index deed, deed of trust, and release books in the county clerk's office.
Hardy County Commission, $12,682 to create an online index for digitized deed books in the county clerk's office, and to digitize land books in the assessor's office.
Harrison County Commission, $9,244 to scan and index civil, criminal, chancery, and law order books in the circuit clerk's office.
Jackson County Commission, $5,284 to purchase a color document scanner in the county clerk's office.
Jefferson County Commission, $10,000 to purchase a large format scanner to digitize oversize books and maps in the county clerk's office.
Kanawha County Commission, $7,845 to purchase shelving for voters registration cards in the county clerk's office, and to scan and index civil case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Lewis County Commission, $9,875 to purchase a high-volume micro-cut shredder for the county commission offices, and to scan and index civil and criminal case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Lincoln County Commission, $8,682 to scan and index deed of trust books, and to restore and encapsulate land books in the county clerk's office.
Logan County Commission, $10,000 to purchase a large format color scanner and printer to digitize maps in the assessor's office.
Mason County Commission, $9,430 to scan and index case files in the circuit clerk's office, and to digitize voter's registration cards in the county clerk's office.
McDowell County Commission, $4,909 to encapsulate and digitize map books in the county clerk's office.
Mercer County Commission, $10,000 to purchase moveable track shelving for case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Mineral County Commission, $9,927 to digitize chancery and law case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Mingo County Commission, $9,841 to purchase a color scanner in the county clerk's office, and to review case files and implement the records retention schedule in the circuit clerk's office.
Monongalia County Commission, $10,000 to organize and scan the oldest county documents and to purchase archival records storage boxes for the county clerk's office.
Monroe County Commission, $9,700 to index deed books that were digitized by the RMPB Statewide Preservation Project in the county clerk's office, and to scan and index criminal and civil case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Morgan County Commission, $9,545 to scan and index deed books and to recover deed books in the county clerk's office.
Pendleton County Commission, $9,091 to index deed books that were digitized by the RMPB Statewide Preservation Project and to restore and encapsulate the earliest minute books in the county clerk's office.
Pocahontas County Commission, $10,000 to scan and index chancery and law case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Putnam County Commission, $12,379 to purchase roller shelving for land books in the county clerk's office, and to purchase a color document scanner in the assessor's office.
Ritchie County Commission, $9,146 to digitize the assessor's copies of land books in the county clerk's office.
Roane County Commission, $7,079 to scan and index criminal case files in the prosecuting attorney's office, and to scan and index civil case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Tucker County Commission, $10,615 to purchase roller shelving for oversize books in the county clerk�s office.
Upshur County Commission, $13,000 to digitize chancery and civil order books in the circuit clerk's office, and to scan and index personal property assessments, property review, and transfer documents in the assessor's office.
Wayne County Commission, $10,000 to index deed books that were digitized by the RMPB Statewide Preservation Project in the county clerk's office.
Wirt County Commission, $9,218 to index digital images of deed books in the county clerk's office.
Wyoming County Commission, $9,500 to digitize deed books in the county clerk's office.
Records Management and Preservation Board
West Virginia Archives and History