Managing Local Government Archives

[The authors] have produced a publication that serves as a practical guide for almost anyone anywhere who has been tasked with the setting up and management of a local archives service…. This book is excellent at offering practical if succinct advice…. As a whole, this short book’s focus is clearly on public archives and records of local government. Its authors have produced an excellent overall guide which should assist anyone, wherever they are based, who has been placed in charge of such a service. The book is especially a useful first tool for those with little or no previous archival experience or training. * Archives and Records: The Journal of the Archives and Records Association *
This is a book that has been needed for a long time and, according to the authors, is the first devoted to local government archives (hereafter LGA) management. The authors each have over 30 years of experience with local government archives and historical societies, and the book has been 10 years in the making. The result is a lean and carefully constructed book with much helpful information…. This book will be an excellent starting place for the people on the front lines and perhaps also for those who are considering a career in LGA management…. The authors have created a useful tool for a very large segment of the archival community, and they are to be commended. * Archival Issues *
The authors have successfully written a book that provides local government archives with a clear and easy-to-follow roadmap by explaining how and why these records need to be protected. The book also includes important topics such as caring for electronic records, outreach, and exhibits.... [T]he book is well-written and informative.... Managing Local Government Archives succeeds in giving readers a better understanding of the how and why local government records need to be preserved. The book could also be useful to smaller institutions as a basic how-to guide for working with archival collections. * NEA Newsletter *
Local government archival records document the histories of communities, their institutions, and their people. We need more strong archival programs to identify, organize, preserve, and make available these invaluable materials. In this book, two veteran local government archivists provide sage advice on how to organize and administer a successful archival program, secure needed support from the local government, and foster use of the archival records. -- Bruce W. Dearstyne, The author of Leading the Historical Enterprise: Strategic Creativity, Planning and Advocacy for the Digital Age (2015),  Managing Government Records and Information (1999) and The Management of Local Government Records: A Guide for Local Officials  (1988)
Local-government archives document life where we live it. Officials and custodians new to managing these essential records will find here a quick guide to best practice distilled from the authors’ six-plus decades of experience. Candid tips, examples from local-government archives around the country, a unique historical description of different record-keeping traditions that shape local-government archives, and sources for deeper study are blended together in this up-to-date introduction. -- David B. Gracy II, Governor Bill Daniel Professor Emeritus, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin