TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT

Maryland Manual in 1947, and that has now become a duty assigned
us by law. We were made a depository for current State documents, and
by now our collection of Maryland documents, both old and current, is
perhaps second to none. At one moment we agreed to organize a De-
partment of Information, but we agreed only with the condition that
we be required to keep it for no longer than one year. After that time
a new agency was created to take over.

In 1953, we undertook to establish a Records Management Divi-
sion. Archivists everywhere saw that they could no longer ignore the
proliferation of governmental records which began in the 1930's. They
recognized too that they could not forever leave the responsibility for
the care of modern records to file clerks. It was at once obvious to
archivists that no longer could all records be kept except at awesome
cost to the taxpayer. Therefore, in order to be able to maintain signifi-
cant records permanently it became necessary to dispose summarily of
those of little or no worth. And after the accumulation had been dealt
with, some order had to be put in the making of records—to prepare
them for their period of current usefulness as well as for their final
destination in the archives, in the record center, or in the incinerator.
This is the proper work of records management and it properly falls
within the interest and concern of the Archivist. In this new field we
are moving cautiously—as we should—but gratifying progress has been
made.

For whatever has been accomplished the Archivist is grateful first
of all to the State of Maryland which has, through its several branches
of government, supported our work; and this lent it the prestige and
authority which it needed. In many cases there were objections from
custodians to the transfer of records, especially those of the earliest
period. These objections were for the most part motivated by patriotism
and local pride. It demanded the finest quality of local patriotism to
send away to Annapolis historical county records so that they could be
better cared for and more easily consulted. Especially helpful in the
work of collecting county records were the members of the Bench and
Bar, the Clerks of Court, the Registers of Wills and the County
Commissioners.

Thanks are due to the members of the Hall of Records Commis-
sion, especially the successive chairmen (invariably the Chief Judge of
the Court of Appeals), who have established the policies of the Hall
of Records and who have supported the Archivist in carrying them out.