BURIED IN PAPER: COUNTY CONSIDERS RECORD STORAGE IN EXPANDED JAIL

Facing a problem with mounting paperwork, Cape Girardeau County is considering a new building to store records.

On Monday county officeholders and architect John Dudley met to look at the feasibility of a county records and archive center perhaps in conjunction with expansion of the county jail.

"What we might be looking at is a place where we can store these records and have areas for public access and research," said Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones.

The county began addressing the records problem a number of years ago when the it essentially ran out of storage space.

In some cases up to 5,000 pages a day were finding their way to various rooms in the County Courthouse and Administration Building. County officeholders have been converting routine paperwork and records to computer discs by scanning old and new records.

However, some historic and legal documents won't be scanned.

For example, the circuit clerk's office and circuit judges must retain paper copies of court documents as required by state statutes.

Circuit Clerk Charles Hutson Jr. said records date back to the 1700s. Documents are stored in old vaults, in closets and in office corners.

Many people use those records while doing genealogy research. Tax records and property deeds are also commonly used by researchers.

Hutson said legally his office could destroy civil case records after 25 years, but because researchers use the documents regularly the records are kept.

"Just because people use the records doesn't mean we have to keep them in our offices," Jones said.

Dudley said the cost of an additional 3,000 square feet in storage space when added to the jail construction would be less than the same building constructed by itself.

Designs for the jail expansion are nearing completion and haven't been approved yet.

If an archives center were built, someone would have to man it. Hutson and Jones said perhaps volunteers with local historical or genealogical societies might be interested.