(a) Those records deemed by the public officer having custody thereof to be unnecessary for the transaction of the business of his or her office and yet deemed by the public records administrator, attorney general, or the auditor general and the state archivist to be of permanent or historical value, may be transferred, with the consent of the state archivist, to the custody of the division of state archives. A list of all records so transferred, together with a statement certifying compliance with the provisions of this chapter signed by the state archivist, shall be preserved in the files of the office from which the records were drawn and in the files of the division.
(b) Items in the care, custody, and trusteeship of the state archivist which are not records as defined by chapter 2 of title 38 and items which are not records which are proposed for disposition but determined to be of historical or museum interest or value by the state archivist may be transferred to the custody of the Rhode Island historical society or other local historical societies.
(c) Qualified researchers, scholars and students and other appropriate persons performing qualified research shall have the right of reasonable access to all records in the custody of the state archivist for purposes of historical reference, research, and information, subject to provisions of chapter 2 of title 38. Copies of records, having historical, or museum interest or value shall be furnished by the state archivist upon request of any person, society, state agency or political subdivision, subject to restraints of standard archival practices.
(d) In the event of disagreement as to the custody of any records as defined in § 38-3-6, the archivist with the advice of the attorney general and auditor general shall make final and conclusive determination, and order and direct custody accordingly per § 38-3-6.
History of Section.
P.L. 1989, ch. 341, § 1.