The Records Management and Preservation Board (RMPB) has awarded $501,027 in grant funds to thirty-four West Virginia county commissions for records management and preservation projects. The Board reviewed submissions and made its recommendations in January for projects to improve management, storage conditions, accessibility, and preservation of public records held in county offices. Following official letters announcing the successful grants, RMPB staff will provide technical assistance in setting up the projects, which officially begin with the new fiscal year (July 1, 2022). A complete list of recipients is attached.
The RMPB was created by the West Virginia Legislature in 2000 to develop a system of records management and preservation for county governments. Funding for the grants program comes from filing fees collected by county clerks and deposited in the special Public Records and Preservation Revenue Account. Applications for the next grant cycle will be available September 1, 2022.
For more information about the Records Management and Preservation Board's annual grant program or the work of the RMPB, contact Denise Ferguson, county records archivist, West Virginia Archives and History, by phone at (304) 558-0230, ext. 150, by e-mail at denise.l.ferguson@wv.gov, or by mail at Records Management and Preservation Board, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Building 9, Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Information can be accessed electronically at http://archive.wvculture.org/history/rmpb/rmpb.html
Barbour County Commission, $11,430 to digitize microfiche of civil and criminal case files in the circuit clerk's office, and to digitize assignment, deed of trust, lien, and judgement books in the county clerk's office.
Berkeley County Council, $14,512 to index digital images of case files in the circuit clerk's office, and to recover the assessor's copies of land books in the county clerk's office.
Boone County Commission, $10,000 to review and implement the records retention schedule in the county commission office.
Cabell County Commission, $8,512 to digitize permanent records in the county clerk's office.
Fayette County Commission, $11,004 to purchase public access computers in the county clerk's office, and color document scanners in the county commission office.
Gilmer County Commission, $8,439 to digitize grantee/grantor deed index books and the assessor's copies of the land books in the county clerk's office.
Grant County Commission, $9,086 to digitize grantee/grantor deed index books in the county clerk's office.
Greenbrier County Commission, $18,523 to purchase map cabinets with Mylar sleeves to preserve the county's oversize highway, cemetery, and subdivision maps in the assessor's office: and to purchase a color documents scanner for the county commission office.
Hardy County Commission, $10,000 to create an online index for deed grantor books so they are searchable in the county's records management system.
Harrison County Commission, $10,000 to scan and index civil, criminal, divorce, chancery, and law order books in the circuit clerk's office.
Jackson County Commission, $4,527 to recover earliest chancery and law order books in the circuit clerk's office.
Jefferson County Commission, $18,148 to purchase a map cabinet and Mylar sleeves to preserve maps in the county clerk's office; and to scan and index archival land development records in the county commission office.
Kanawha County Commission, $40,000 to purchase roller shelving for land books in the assessor's office; to scan and index domestic order books and implement the records retention schedule in the circuit clerk's office; and to scan and index voters registration cards and recover deed and cemetery books in the county clerk's office.
Lewis County Commission, $30,000 to scan and index domestic and criminal case files in the circuit clerk's office; to index imaged deed and inventory books in the county clerk's office; to scan and index criminal and investigation reports in the sheriff's office; and to scan and index property notes so they are searchable by district and year in the assessor's office.
Lincoln County Commission, $12,173 to digitize grantee/grantor index books, and to restore and encapsulate the assessor's copies of land books in the county clerk's office.
Mason County Commission, $13,161 to scan and index permanent record books and to purchase machine recording stamps to document filings received in the county clerk's office.
McDowell County Commission, $4,909 to encapsulate and digitize map books in the county clerk's office.
Mercer County Commission, $27,396 to purchase roller shelving for deed books and to restore, encapsulate, and digitize the earliest deed books in the county clerk's office; and to purchase moveable track shelving for case files in the circuit clerk's office.
Mineral County Commission, $10,000 to inventory and implement the records retention schedule in the county clerk's office.
Mingo County Commission, $30,000 to scan and index birth records in the county clerk's office, to purchase moveable track shelving for maps and land books in the assessor's office, and to review case files and implement the records retention schedule in the circuit clerk's office.
Monongalia County Commission, $30,541 to purchase shelving for the county's earliest deeds, wills, estates, and marriage books, to scan and index the oldest oversize, maps and place them in archival plat storage boxes, and to purchase a microfilm reader/printer for the county clerk's office.
Morgan County Commission, $15,000 to scan and index case files in the prosecuting attorney's office; to scan and index map cards in the assessor's office; and to scan and index deed and deed of trust books in the county clerk's office.
Ohio County Commission, $10,000 to reformat digitized indexes and order books for a combined search process by party name, case number, or book in the circuit clerk's office.
Pendleton County Commission, $10,000 to index deed books that were digitized by the RMPB Statewide Preservation Project in the county clerk's office.
Pleasants County Commission, $10,000 to scan and index domestic and civil order books in the circuit clerk's office.
Pocahontas County Commission, $20,000 to scan and index chancery and law case files in the circuit clerk's office; and to digitize the earliest copies of the assessor's land books in the county clerk's office.
Preston County Commission, $13,640 to scan and index civil case files and to purchase open steel shelving and cubic foot (10"x12"x15") records storage boxes for long-term, inactive case file management in the circuit clerk's office.
Raleigh County Commission, $26,645 to scan, index, and label map index books, plat map books, and encapsulate road and land maps, to purchase map cabinets with labels and Mylar sleeves to preserve and identify the county's oldest maps, and to purchase shelving for estate records in the county clerk's office.
Randolph County Commission, $8,956 to digitize civil, criminal, and domestic case files in the prosecuting attorney's office.
Roane County Commission, $6,339 to inventory, scan, and index criminal case files in the prosecuting attorney's office.
Upshur County Commission, $9,795 to digitize grantor/grantee deed index books in the county clerk's office.
Wayne County Commission, $15,000 to index deed books that were digitized by the RMPB Statewide Preservation Project and to recover and encapsulate the assessor's copies of land books in the county clerk's office.
Wirt County Commission, $9,455 to index digital images of deed books in the county clerk's office.
Wyoming County Commission, $13,836 to digitize deed books and to restore, encapsulate and digitize deed books N and P.
Records Management and Preservation Board
West Virginia Archives and History