ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 47

State Comptroller for the fees they collect for their various services.
While they are authorized to pay salaries and other necessary expenses
of their office out of the fees collected, any excess balance must be
deposited in the State Treasury. In return, the State makes up the
deficit in those offices where the fees collected do not cover necessary
expenses. Before making expenditures for record equipment or ser-
vices, they must obtain the approval of the Comptroller.

Representative examples of the requests for equipment and ser-
vices reviewed are: microfilm cameras and readers, photostat cameras,
quick-copy machines, roller shelving, filing equipment, indexing, and
the rehabilitation of records. We give careful consideration to the
problems underlying these requests, before making our recommenda-
tion to the Comptroller.

Earlier in this report, we mentioned the participation of our micro-
film staff in the retirement of records through the substitution of
microfilm copies for the original records. Prior to the acquisition of our
records centers, microfilming was sometimes employed just to save
space and filing equipment. Since then, it has generally been done
only when the original would otherwise be retained indefinitely, or
when a security copy is considered necessary. The other activities of
this staff are perhaps less closely related to records management, but
they are nevertheless an important part of the over-all program of the
Hall of Records. Since 1953, the Commissioner of the Land Office has
been provided with microfilm copies of the currently recorded county
land records, and the Department of Assessments and Taxation with
copies of current deeds for its tax map program. Our staff initially
filmed these records in thirteen counties, but now most of these
counties have their own microfilm equipment. However, in the counties
which prepare their own microfilm copies or use the projection print
program, the staff continues to supervise this work and inspect the
completed film. They also film the proceedings of the General As-
sembly of Maryland after each legislative day, in order to provide
insurance against loss or error by the printer or in transit. In addition,
they have cooperated in the Hall of Records program of securing
insurance copies of major county records series, both by filming a
number of these series and by inspecting the microfilm copies of others
prepared for us by the counties.

Interest in the records management program has not been con-
fined entirely to Maryland. Each year we receive requests for informa-
tion relating to our program or for assistance with records problems.
Frequently these requests are from states which wish to establish
programs of their own. It is our policy to share our experience in this
field with others whose objectives are akin to ours and to encourage
them to visit the Hall of Records to observe our program in operation
whenever possible.