ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 45

of open shelf filing for filing cabinets has reduced the space required for re-
cords and speeded up the reference to them. Since the purchase of new or
improved equipment necessarily involves the expenditure of budgeted funds,
we have worked closely with the Department of Budget and Procurement
and the Board of Public Works on requests for the purchase or rental of record
equipment and services. These cooperative efforts have resulted in consider-
able savings to the State, first by ensuring that useless records have been
destroyed and old equipment utilized before new equipment was purchased
and second, by determining that the equipment requested was appropriate for
the purpose intended. As our program expands, control of the creation of
records and their effective handling while in current use will, of course, play
increasingly important roles.

Earlier in this report, the participation of the Division's microfilm staff
in the retirement of records through the substitution of microfilm copies for
the originals was discussed. While the other accomplishments of this staff
perhaps are less closely related to records management, they nevertheless are
an important part of the overall 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 State Tax Commission
with copies of current deeds for its tax map program. Our staff initially filmed
these records in thirteen counties, but the acquisition of microfilm equipment
by several counties now has reduced that number to five. However, in the
counties which prepare their own microfilm copies or use the projection print
recording program carried on through Hall and McChesney, the staff contin-
ues to supervise the work and inspect the completed film. In addition, they
have cooperated in the Hall of Records long-term program of securing insur-
ance copies of major county series, both by filming a number of these scries
and inspecting the microfilm copies of others prepared for us by the counties.
During the period under review, they either filmed or inspected 2,699 rolls of
35mm. microfilm and delivered them to the Land Office. In the same period,
they also filmed or inspected 1,407 rolls of film containing insurance copies
of land and probate records for the Hall of Records.

That the impact of the records management program has not been con-
fined entirely to Maryland is evidenced by the many requests which have been
received from other states and the Federal Government for information re-
lating to the program or for assistance with records problems. During the past
year information or assistance was provided the states of Illinois, Michigan,
Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wyoming, as well as the Territory of
Alaska and the County of Los Angeles. Assistance in the preparation of a
manual for State and local governments concerning records essential for the
continuity of government in an emergency also was given the Federal Civil
Defense Administration.

In this summary of the activities of the Records Management Division
since 1953, the accomplishments of the past year have been presented with
those of previous years. However, more detailed information regarding them
may be found below.