Introduction:
This section is divided into two parts, one for Town records and one for the records of organizations and individuals. This is an important distinction, because all Town records are public records under state law. Their retention, access, and destruction are subject to state regulation. Appendix I consists of Chapter 66 of the Massachusetts General Laws Annotated, which details the laws relating to public records. These laws and other public records information are clearly explained on the website of the Masschusetts State Archives (http://www.magnet.state.ma.us/sec/arc/). A portion of this website is included in Appendix II.
I. Records of the Town of Westford
While the Historical Society, The J.V Fletcher Library, and the Town are the three largest record-holders in Westford, the Towns collection is by far the largest. I estimate that the Town (including its off-site locations) as approximately 2300 cubic feet of records, at least 750 of permanent, historical value. In comparison, the J.V. Fletcher Library has approximately 65 cubic feet and the Historical Society approximately 90. (To envision the size of these collections, it is helpful to remember that 1 cubic foot is equal to one standard size record carton.)
Although at first it might seem that the recommendations for the Town require unplanned-for effort and expense particularly when the Town is going through a period of enormous growth, the benefits of complying with the state's record keeping regulations will be great. Among these will be:
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the preservation of the Town's rich history; |
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ensuring that the portion of today's current records that have permanent, archival value - tomorrow's history - will be preserved; |
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effective management of current records so they comply and enhance operational, legal, and fiscal goals |
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cost-savings; as the Town adopts new media for its records storage, the use of compatible equipment and storage media will ensure that decisions are made on a Town-wide rather than a departmental basis. |
The greatest needs for the Town of Westford are for: |
