The Division of Archives and Records Management. The Office of the Secretary of State includes the Division of Archives and Records Management (State Archives), which is responsible for managing the retention, cataloging, and preservation of the public records inventory. The State Archives also operates regional offices that support state and local agencies with records management.
Institute on Human Development and Disability. The University of Washington Institute on Human Development and Disability provides an integrated interdisciplinary program in the field of developmental disabilities to advance basic and translational research and to enhance the capacity of communities to provide state-of-the-art comprehensive services.
Lakeland Village. Originally established in 1914 Lakeland Village is a state operated facility that provides training, education, and healthcare for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Working with the University of Washington Institute on Human Development and Disability, and in consultation with the Department of Social and Health Services and the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, the State Archives must organize, catalogue, and store historical documents and artifacts identified at Lakeland Village.
Historical documents and artifacts may include but are not limited to medical records, letters, images, films, and artifacts of past residents with intellectual or development disabilities at Lakeland Village.
Working in consultation with the State Archives, the University of Washington must:
The preservation plan must include how the records will be stored, where they will be stored, how they will be handled and transported, and how they will be restored if they are in danger of falling into disrepair, and how they will be digitized.
The preservation plan must include a timeline for the preservation work and an overall budget for the work.
Based on the plan approved by the State Archives, records will be transported and stored in preparation for cataloging and digitization. Records must then be cataloged, digitized, and transferred to archival microfilm for long-term access.
All records and artifacts must undergo an initial historic review and documentation of materials.
The preservation plan must also include future plans for public access for historical and education purposes.
Indirect costs to the University of Washington for this project are limited to 15 percent.
PRO: This bill was led by the developmental disabilities community. It is a community-driven approach that aims to safeguard historical documents and artifacts associated with the developmental disabilities community. It is important for us to maintain, digitize, and preserve these records. By maintaining them, we find a way to connect to the past and to understand their experiences. The artifacts likely include materials outside the definition of public records, including medical information about individual patients, and public access to the records will be guided by the Public Records Act and HIPAA. For Archives to keep the patient files permanently, almost an entire building would need to be created for storage. It would be good to coordinate this work with local groups.
PRO: These documents contain real stories about real people?s lives who were hidden, but whose lives matter. It is critical that they be digitized but those costs should not be shifted to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The records can remain where they are while the research is being conducted.
OTHER: We are currently working on a proposed substitute that would allow us to be pro on this bill. First and foremost we want to make sure that none of the records are destroyed and that they are retained in a cost effective way over time.