Government Specialty — LGS-1 Compliant

Records management built for compliance — not just convenience.

We build records programs that meet NYS Local Government Records standards, survive audits, and make your records actually retrievable. From initial inventory to ongoing compliance — we do the full scope.

The Basics

What is records management?

Records management is the systematic process of creating, organizing, maintaining, and disposing of records throughout their lifecycle — from the moment they are created until they are either permanently preserved or legally destroyed.

A "record" is any document — physical or digital — that captures information about an organization's activities, decisions, or transactions. This includes everything from meeting minutes and contracts to financial reports, personnel files, and correspondence.

For government agencies, municipalities, and public school districts in New York State, records management isn't optional — it's required by law. The NYS Local Government Records Schedule (LGS-1) mandates how long specific types of records must be kept before they can be legally destroyed.

"Records management is not about hoarding paper. It's about knowing what you have, how long to keep it, and how to find it when you need it."

The Records Lifecycle
1
Creation — record is produced or received
2
Active use — referenced regularly
3
Semi-active — kept but rarely accessed
4
Disposition — permanent preservation or legal destruction
What counts as a record?
Meeting minutes and resolutions
Contracts, agreements, and legal documents
Financial reports, budgets, and audits
Personnel and payroll files
Correspondence and official communications
Permits, licenses, and regulatory filings
Is This You?

Is your organization required
to comply with LGS-1?

If your organization is any of the following, NYS law requires you to manage records in accordance with the Local Government Records Schedule (LGS-1) maintained by the New York State Archives:

NYS Cities, Towns, Villages, and Counties
Local school districts and BOCES
Public libraries and library systems
Fire districts and special districts
Public authorities and benefit corporations
What non-compliance costs you
Inability to locate records when citizens, auditors, or attorneys request them
Storage costs for records that could legally have been destroyed years ago
Legal exposure from records destroyed without proper authorization
Staff time wasted searching for records with no system
Failed audits and grant reporting gaps
Our Records Services

End-to-end records management

We handle the full records management scope — from assessment and inventory through compliance program development, physical organization of records spaces, and staff training.

01

Records Assessment
& Inventory

Before any program can be built, you need to know what you have. We conduct a full physical and digital records inventory — documenting record series, locations, volumes, formats, and estimated dates. This becomes the foundation of your retention schedule and disposition plan.

02

LGS-1 Retention Schedule
Development

We map your organization's records to the appropriate LGS-1 series, create a customized retention schedule, and document the legal authority for each retention period. The result is a defensible, audit-ready schedule your Records Management Officer can maintain.

03

Physical Organization
of Records Spaces

We organize and systematize your physical records rooms, file storage areas, and archives — creating labeled, navigable, and maintainable environments that align with your retention schedule. This includes shelving organization, box labeling, folder systems, and clear signage so staff can locate records quickly and accurately.

04

Disposition & Destruction
Authorization

We prepare destruction authorization paperwork for records that have met their retention requirements, ensure proper documentation is in place, and coordinate secure destruction through approved vendors where applicable.

05

Compliance Program
Development

For organizations building a records program from scratch — or rebuilding one that has lapsed — we develop the full program: policies, procedures, staff roles, training materials, and an ongoing management calendar.

06

LGRMIF Grant Project
Execution

We execute records management scopes funded by the NYS Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF). We understand the deliverables, timelines, and reporting requirements of LGRMIF awards and work directly with your Records Management Officer throughout.

07

Staff Training &
Documentation

We train your staff on the records program we build — including how to use the retention schedule, how to process disposition requests, and how to maintain the system going forward. Training is documented and can be adapted for new staff onboarding.

08

Ongoing Records
Management Support

We offer retainer-based ongoing support for organizations that want a partner to manage annual disposition cycles, answer compliance questions, and keep the program current as LGS-1 updates are issued.

Frequently Asked Questions

Records management questions answered

Don't see your question here? Contact us directly — we respond within one business day.

  • You start with a records assessment and inventory — and that's exactly where we begin. Before anything else, we need to know what you have, where it is, and what record series it belongs to. We conduct this inventory for you, documenting every record series, location, volume, and approximate date range. From that foundation,we build your retention schedule and identify what can be legally disposed of immediately, what needs to be kept, and what should be prioritized for better organization. Most organizations are surprised by how much they can legally destroy right away — freeing up significant storage space.

  • It depends on the volume and complexity of your records, and the scope of the project. A focused records assessment and inventory for a small municipality can take 1–2 weeks. A full compliance program — including inventory, retention schedule, physical organization, and staff training — typically runs 4–12 weeks. LGRMIF-funded projects are scoped to the grant timeline, which we work within. We provide a clear timeline in your project plan before any work begins.

  • At the end of every engagement, your organization has a fully documented records management program: a retention schedule, a physical organization system, trained staff, and the procedures to maintain everything going forward. We offer ongoing retainer support for organizations that want a partner to manage annual disposition cycles, answer compliance questions as they arise, and keep the program current as LGS-1 is updated by the NYS Archives.

  • Peace of Find does not provide in-house scanning or digitization services. However, we work closely with trusted digitization partners and can make a direct referral based on your record types, volume, and budget.

  • Yes. We have direct experience executing LGRMIF-funded records management scopes includingrecords inventory and assessment, physical organization of records spaces, retention schedule development, and staff training. We work within your award budget and timeline, handle deliverable documentation, and coordinate directly with your Records Management Officer throughout the project.

Let's build your records program.

Whether you're starting from zero or rebuilding a program that has lapsed, we'll start with a free assessment call and build from there.