Monroe County encompasses 19 towns, 10 villages, and Rochester—the third largest city in NY. Today, it is a modern center for high-technology industries like manufacturing, education, medicine, and exports. On a per capita basis, Monroe County’s industries export more manufactured goods than any other community in the United States of America. With over 725,000 residents, millions of county records are generated yearly, and the historical documents on file date back to 1821. The County Clerk’s office is responsible for perpetually maintaining these records for all the people in Monroe County.

The Challenge

Saving historically significant records from chemical destruction

Monroe County faced a challenge common to most counties across the country. Much of the archived County Clerk’s Office’s historic records are on microfilm, and in many cases, these are the only known records. From the late 1930s to the 1980s, microfilms used a cellulose acetate base. This base is prone to tears, vinegar syndrome, and redox blemishes. Vinegar syndrome is the result of chemical decay and produces buckling and shrinking, embrittlement, and bubbling. If left unattended, the process will result in the inability to recover any images or data from the film.

The county had limited time and needed a solution to preserve its historical documents. It also wanted to find a way of making the documents more accessible and useful for future generations. All of this was within the constraints of a tight budget.

The Solution

Digitizing microfilm images into searchable PDF documents

While proper storage and handling slows microfilm deterioration, it is unstoppable and irreversible. The best way to prevent data loss is converting the microfilm to a new digital format. Rebecca Case Caico, Monroe County Deputy County Clerk, initiated a new project to preserve several thousands of historical records. The project was extensive and included preserving official register information such as deeds, mortgages, assignments of mortgages, satisfactions of mortgages, judgments, and liens, recorded with the Clerk’s Office. Converting this amount of microfilm into high quality searchable digital PDF documents requires special equipment, proven processes, and an experienced team. After considering performing the project internally and examining several outsourced options, eBizDocs was selected to perform the county’s digital transformation.

The Results

History preservation and better information access

While the digitization project greatly increases the ease of public access to significant historic records, even more importantly, it prevents data from being lost forever. “Our core responsibility as the County Clerk’s Office is the preservation of these important records for all of Monroe County,” said Monroe County Deputy County Clerk Rebecca Case Caico. “eBizDocs helped us fulfill our central mandate and bring old records, that were previously difficult to access and search, back into the light of day.” Digitized files are backed up in two locations within Monroe County and a third, out-of-state location. This triple redundancy approach safeguards files from a serious local catastrophe and potential permanent loss of data. This digital transformation means Monroe County citizens can rest assured their history is preserved and much more accessible for generations.

Learn More

Let’s start a fact finding, no obligation, conversation about your goals and objectives.

 

 

 

About eBizDocs –eBizDocs is a premier digital transformation provider focused on helping you put INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. Offerings include paper and microfilm conversion, content capture and document management solutions, scanner sales and service, and process consultation. eBizDocs is SOC2 Type II certified and serves private and public-sector organizations. The company has been in business for over 20 years and is a preferred source contractor for NYS entities. To learn how eBizDocs can help transform your operation, visit eBizDocs.com