2023 Alaska Statutes › Title 40. Public Records and Recorders › Chapter 21. Management and Preservation of Public Records › Article 1. Public Records. › Sec. 40.21.030. Duties of the state archivist.

(a) In order to carry out the archival program, the state archivist shall
(1) negotiate for, acquire, and receive public records of permanent value including public records of the state and political subdivisions of the state and of defunct public agencies;
(2) establish and operate a state archival depository that shall provide for the preservation, arrangement, repair, rehabilitation, duplication, reproduction, description, and exhibition of permanent public records or other documentary material transferred to, or acquired by the state archivist;
(3) review and approve all agency records retention schedules to identify and to ensure the preservation of those records having permanent value;
(4) make permanent records under the supervision of the archivist, other than those required by AS 40.25.120 to be kept confidential, available for public use at reasonable times;
(5) for a fee established under AS 40.25.110 - 40.25.115, make available to any person copies of archival material under AS 40.25.120;
(6) adopt a seal for official use and for certification of record copies which copies shall have the same force and effect as if made by the original custodian of the records;
(7) negotiate payment for the acquisition of public records with the possessor of them;
(8) if negotiations under (7) of this subsection are unsuccessful or if the person in possession of the public records is unwilling to enter into those negotiations, arrange with the person in possession for the microfilming of the records;
(9) accept gifts, bequests, and endowments for purposes consistent with the objectives of this chapter;
(10) prepare inventories, indexes, catalogs, and other finding aids or guides to facilitate the use of the archives;
(11) accept documents, including motion picture film, still pictures, and sound recordings, that are appropriate for preservation by the state as evidence of its organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and transactions.
(b) In order to carry out the records management program, the state archivist shall
(1) analyze, develop, and coordinate the standards and procedures for record making and current record keeping;
(2) ensure the maintenance and security of records;
(3) initiate action to recover state records removed without authorization;
(4) establish and operate state records centers for the purposes of accepting, servicing, storing, and protecting state records that must be preserved for varying periods of time but which are not needed for the transaction of current business;
(5) transfer records considered to have permanent value to the state archives;
(6) institute and maintain a training and information program in all phases of the management of current records for all state agencies;
(7) make continuing surveys of paperwork operations and recommend improvements in current records management practices, including the use of space, equipment, and supplies;
(8) initiate programs for improving the management of correspondence, forms, reports, and directives as integral parts of the overall records management program;
(9) provide centralized microfilm service for state agencies as determined to be necessary by the department;
(10) establish standards for the preparation of records retention schedules providing for the retention of state records of permanent value and for the prompt and orderly disposition of state records no longer possessing administrative, legal, or historical value to warrant their retention;
(11) receive records retention schedules from the agencies and submit them to the attorney general for review and approval;
(12) obtain from agencies reports that are required for the administration of the program.