A Different Type of Disaster

This year has been an interesting one. It has not been a good one in terms of disasters for South Carolina records but as we close out the year, we are being confronted with a different type of disaster. The state is facing serious financial woes and the effects are already being felt with regards to records. How can you best preserve with no budget for folders or boxes? How can you follow proper protocol when records managers are losing their jobs and the turn over is so great? How can you meet the standards for storage environment when you are barely keeping the doors open?

Although this disaster doesn't look like it is going to be ending anytime soon, we must all do our best to salvage what we can and work with what we are given. Perhaps the biggest lesson of all disaster preparedness is being able to be flexible, to roll with whatever comes your way. Although it is hard to maintain that flexible outlook when you are looking at mandatory furlough days and loss of jobs- strive for the best you can- the records deserve our attention.

I hope that the holidays are fantastic for everyone and that the New Year finds us all still employed and thriving despite belt tightening and frustration.