Lorain County offices, departments and agencies currently maintain millions of documents in a variety of formats. Most of these records are paper and contain information of long-term legal, historical, administrative or fiscal value. The majority of these records are created and maintained as a result of mandated services. Good management is essential. Without a sound management strategy, records begin to occupy valuable space, are disposed of carelessly or are stored in insecure or inaccessible locations.

The purpose of the Lorain County Records Center (Records Center/Center) is to alleviate some of these management concerns by providing economical storage, timely retrieval, facility security, document processing and legal disposal for those semi-active and inactive records generated as a part of the business of government.

The Records Center management tools include: schedules of retention and destruction, computerized tracking of records (irrespective of media) housed at the Records Center, timely retrieval, and a full micrographic and imaging service.

Benefits of the Lorain County Records Management Program include:

• Microfilming records to reduce space and protect vital records,
• Secure records destruction,
• Improve security for confidential records,
• Improved public access to those records transferred to the Center,
• Improved productivity and space utilization for the offices served,
• Archival security of all master microfilm and
• Computerized indexing of county records.

The Records Center is a fully functional records storage and processing facility available to any county office or department. The center is considered by the Lorain County Records Commission to be an extension of each office for the purpose of records storage and processing. Records stored in the facility always remain the responsibility of the originating office.

One employee per department or agency should be designated as a contact with the Records Center. Identifying an alternate is also recommended. This person should be very familiar with the function of their office and those records these functions necessitate.