Ginny Jones wrote:
>For example, records such as student transcripts can no longer be
completely accessed if they contain whatever the law currently says must
be protected as private (SSN, student ID, birth date, financial
information, etc.)

HIPAA has also impacted historic records. The restrictions on PHI have
no "statute of limitations". One of our most heavily researched records
are the admissions records to a poor farm/hospital/elderly residence
that the county maintained at Edgefield Manor from the early 20th
century until the early 1980's. These volumes include a wealth of
information of interest to genealogists, yet also contain brief health
notations, such as "consumption" or "arthritis". Because of this, we can
no longer allow direct access and have to redact this information before
providing copies to researchers, even if it is almost 100 years old.

In Oregon, anything with a retention of 100+ years is considered
"permanent" for purposes of records maintenance. Ginny raises a good
point about long term maintenance requirements - I always discuss cost
with customers who want something kept "permanently" for no apparent
reason. Usually that brings the retention down to 20 years or less. Its
also an important discussion to have with those who see a purely
electronic system as ensuring "permanence". 

Speaking of Edgefield, it was bought by the McMenamin Brothers in 1990
and converted to a wonderful hotel/restaurant/entertainment complex,
located close to the Columbia River Gorge. An early job I had in the
county was to go to the then empty facility and rescue any records still
there. The difference between the vandalized, extremely creepy and
reportedly "haunted" building I entered then and the restored facility
now is truly astonishing. Our own archival collection was used
extensively in developing the various historic displays in the facility.
If you are ever in Portland, check it out:

http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3&id=30


Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Fleet, Records, Electronics, Distribution and Stores
(FREDS)
1620 S.E. 190th Avenue
Portland, OR 97233
Phone: (503)988-3741
Fax: (503)988-3754
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