West Virginia Records Management Program &               State Records Center Operations

Declaration of Policy

The Public Records Management and Preservation Act, 5A-8-1 et seq, was enacted by the legislature in 1990.  The legislature declares that the Act will provide for the efficient and economical management of state and local records with the goals of promoting economy and efficiency in the day-to-day record-keeping activities of the state and local governments. The Act protects records containing information essential to the operation of government and for the protection of the rights and interests of persons against destructive effects of all forms of disaster.  It preserves records that document the State's history and ensures that records are maintained and available throughout their life cycle.

Records Management Program Basics

• The Act designates the Secretary of Administration as the State Records Administrator responsible for establishing, monitoring, and administrating a records management program for the executive branch of state government. The State Records Administrator may designate a designee on his behalf.

• The State Records Administrator Designee is responsible for administrating the day-to-day responsibilities and requirements of the Act.

• A State Records Center provides full records management services, including storage of records, retrieval of records, pickup and delivery of records, imaging services, and destruction services.

• Executive branch agencies have a designated Records Manager who is the Administrator Designee's contact regarding any records management issues. This person is responsible for managing the agency's records.

• Agencies are required to perform a biennial inventory of their records identifying the types of records they maintain, the amount of paper and electronic records, and the location of where the records are stored.  The "Biennial Inventory" must be provided to the Records Management Program Administrator by emailing to donna.m.lipscomb@wv.gov.  

• No records shall be destroyed without prior approval of the State Records Administrator and the Director of Archives in the Department of Arts, Culture and History. 

• Records Retention and Disposal Schedules and Authorizations to Destroy shall be provided to the Administrator's Designee by sending the request to recordsmanagement@wv.gov to begin the approval processes. The executive branch agency will be notified once the approval has been granted.

• All additional service requests must be submitted to the appropriate email address as reflected in the services folders below. Records center staff will contact the agency customers to schedule all services.