Recorder requests $59,086 contract to preserve historic deed books; added to next week’s consent agenda

Recorder of Deeds Joe Davidson asked the Board of Commissioners to fund a project to preserve and restore approximately 15 deed books with Cofile Technologies Inc. The earliest book in the group is Deed Book 67 (dating to 1865) and the most recent in the selection is Deed Book 168 (to 1941). Davidson described the selected books as “the most deteriorated” and said the preservation work will include deacidification and will produce additional digital backups, including PDF image files, supplementing existing digital and microfilm copies.

Davidson identified the total project cost as $59,086.29, to be paid from the Recorder of Deeds records improvement fund. He said the vendor has worked on nearly 100 deed books for the office previously and the department expects this work to preserve the books for many years. A commissioner asked whether the project includes digitization; Davidson responded that the books have already been digitized and microfilmed and that the project will deliver another digital backup.

The board voted to add the contract with Cofile Technologies Inc. to next week’s consent agenda (motion and second; voice vote recorded as “aye,” motion carries).