ARCHIVIST OF THE HALL OF RECORDS 51

In addition, we recommended that the Comptroller urge all Clerks
of Court and Registers of Wills using the print recording program car-
ried on through Hall and McChesney, Inc. to convert from the silver
print method to the Copyflo system because of its economy. This re-
duced the cost of a duplex projection print from $.80 to $.46, repre-
senting a considerable saving to the State. Because of the ever-increasing
volume of documents received for recordation in these offices, some
attention is now being given to the elimination of the paper record alto-
gether and the substitution of micron Im copies.

From time to time we are also consulted on problems of the
physical housing of records such as air-conditioning, fire prevention and
vault construction. When the Talbot County Courthouse was enlarged
several years ago, the Archivist was asked to review the plans insofar
as the storage of records was concerned. He also was consulted about
the remodeling of the Queen Anne's County Courthouse, which is now
in progress, while the Assistant Records Administrator participated in
drafting plans for increasing the record capacity of the Clerk of Court's
vault in Howard County.

We again provided the Commissioner of the Land Office with
microfilm copies of the currently recorded land records and the Depart-
ment of Assessments and Taxation with copies of current deeds for its
tax map program. These records were filmed especially for the Hall of
Records by the Clerks of Court or were a part of the projection print
recording program carried on through Hall and McChesney. Our
personnel supervised the filming, inspected the film, and delivered it
to the Land Office. They also film the abstracts of mortgage releases
which are forwarded to us each year by the Clerks in order that the
security copies of the land records in the possession of the Land Office
may be complete.

During the year under review, the State records program also ex-
perienced expansion and progress. In some areas, the tangible results
achieved were less encouraging than in previous years, but in others the
accomplishments which appear attainable from the work already begun
are particularly promising.

The State Department of Health organized a records review group
in January, 1961 and requested the Assistant Records Administrator and