Records Commission Holds First Meeting of 2012

The Muskingum County Records Commission held its first meeting of 2012 Monday.

The commission brought up new issues to discuss since their last meeting in December 2011. Records Coordinator Mitzi Shook said one of the issues discussed involves enlisting the help of another local institution.

"We are partnered with Starlight Industries. They help me prep records for scanning, they pull staples and just make papers ready to go through the scanners and they’ve been absolutely phenomenal in that," said Shook.

The commission also discussed new guidelines and procedures for the public who comes in to look through records. Shook said the downtown office, on N. 5th Street, holds over 17,500 boxes, some dating back to 1803.

"They’re very delicate to handle. We’re coming into a very large time of research in records with where we’re going in the county and with gas and oil leases. So our records are going to be quite used more and more readily in the next coming year," said Shook.

Shook said she hopes the new procedures take effect immediately, to ensure the preservation of older records.