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Registers of deeds seek repeal of microfilm mandate, request digital standard authority
Summary
Registers of deeds testified that a statutory microfilm preservation mandate is outdated and costly; they asked the committee to let the Secretary of the Commonwealth set digitization standards so registries can adopt modern, accessible archival formats.
Boston — County registers of deeds told the committee H.3377/S.2201 would modernize how registries preserve land‑records by removing a statutory microfilm mandate and allowing the Secretary of the Commonwealth to designate digitization standards.
Mary Oldeving, Register of Deeds for Hampshire County, explained that microfilm equipment is aging, that film supply is in short supply and that microfilm readers and archive printers are difficult and expensive to maintain. “There is a national microfilm shortage that's been driving up retention costs for documents,” she said, adding that digital methods produce clearer images and simplify disaster recovery and public access.
Oldeving described cases of “vinegar syndrome,” a chemical breakdown of film that renders rolls brittle and can spread, and said registries currently face cost and compliance burdens because the law still requires microfilm preservation in some circumstances.
Representative David LeBoeuf (sponsor) and registrars asked the committee to let the Secretary of the Commonwealth designate approved digitization methodologies so registries can move to modern, ADA‑accessible formats that reduce long‑term cost and improve public access.
Ending — The committee received testimony supportive of giving the Secretary discretion to set archival digitization standards; no committee vote was recorded during the hearing.
