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Committee weighs small pilot and policy to digitize town records ahead of archives grant
Summary
Committee members endorsed a small pilot to test LaserFish digitization and a recommendation to adopt a policy recognizing digital records as originals, to strengthen future state archives grant applications; staff warned about technical nuance, tagging/OCR pitfalls and recommended a structured workflow.
A Finance & General Government Committee member on April 14 said the town is ‘‘really behind in digitization’’ and proposed a small summer pilot to test LaserFish scanning workflows and vendor services so the town can better pursue a state archives grant next year. The committee heard that a grant deadline was missed this year and that a modest local commitment (suggested $5,000–$10,000) would improve prospects for award.
Staff and members described practical barriers: inconsistent scanning practices, poor OCR/tagging from past intern projects and the need for a written policy to allow a digital file to serve as the ‘‘original’’ record. A staff member said the town can begin limited scanning immediately for internal convenience, but recommended adopting a formal policy before using a vendor-driven archive workflow so digital documents can be preserved in approved file formats and backup systems rather than as ad-hoc PDFs.
Committee members noted LaserFish offers a public portal that, when properly configured, can make building permits and historical records searchable online. Staff described a use case where a resident could click on a property and retrieve building permit history rather than waiting for staff to locate physical files. The committee asked staff to circulate LaserFish white papers and examples from neighboring towns, and to prepare a small pilot and budget note for next year’s grant application.
The discussion identified next steps: staff will draft a policy that defines which digital formats constitute official records, work with the comptroller’s office on a pilot scope, and return with a demonstration or login access so members can test the portal before a larger commitment.
