(1) There is created within the Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State the Florida State Archives for the preservation of those public records, as defined in s. 119.011(12), manuscripts, and other archival material that have been determined by the division to have sufficient historical or other value to warrant their continued preservation and have been accepted by the division for deposit in its custody. It is the duty and responsibility of the division to:

(a) Organize and administer the Florida State Archives.

(b) Preserve and administer such records as shall be transferred to its custody; accept, arrange, and preserve them, according to approved archival practices; and permit them, at reasonable times and under the supervision of the division, to be inspected and copied.

(c) Assist the records and information management program in the determination of retention values for records.

(d) Cooperate with and assist insofar as practicable state institutions, departments, agencies, counties, municipalities, and individuals engaged in activities in the field of state archives, manuscripts, and history and accept from any person any paper, book, record, or similar material which in the judgment of the division warrants preservation in the state archives.

(e) Provide a public research room where, under rules established by the division, the materials in the state archives may be studied.

(f) Conduct, promote, and encourage research in Florida history, government, and culture and maintain a program of information, assistance, coordination, and guidance for public officials, educational institutions, libraries, the scholarly community, and the general public engaged in such research.

(g) Cooperate with and, insofar as practicable, assist agencies, libraries, institutions, and individuals in projects designed to preserve original source materials relating to Florida history, government, and culture and prepare and publish handbooks, guides, indexes, and other literature directed toward encouraging the preservation and use of the state’s documentary resources.

(h) Encourage and initiate efforts to preserve, collect, process, transcribe, index, and research the oral history of Florida government.

(i) Assist and cooperate with the records and information management program in the training and information program described in s. 257.36(1)(g).

(2) Any agency is authorized and empowered to turn over to the division any record no longer in current official use. The division, in its discretion, is authorized to accept such record and, having done so, shall provide for its administration and preservation as herein provided and, upon acceptance, shall be considered the legal custodian of such record. The division is empowered to direct and effect the transfer to the archives of any records that are determined by the division to have such historical or other value to warrant their continued preservation or protection, unless the head of the agency which has custody of the records certifies in writing to the division that the records shall be retained in the agency’s custody for use in the conduct of the regular current business of the agency.

(3) Title to any record transferred to the Florida State Archives, as authorized in this chapter, shall be vested in the division.

(4) The division shall make certified copies under seal of any record transferred to it upon the application of any person, and said certificates shall have the same force and effect as if made by the agency from which the record was received. The division may charge a fee for this service based upon the cost of service.

(5) The division may establish and maintain a schedule of fees for services which shall include, but not be limited to, restoration of archival materials, storage of archival materials, special research services, and publications.

(6) The division may establish and maintain as part of the state archives a Florida State Photographic Collection. The division shall:

(a) Acquire, identify, appraise, arrange, index, restore, and preserve photographs, motion pictures, drawings, and other iconographic material considered appropriate for preservation.

(b) Initiate appropriate action to acquire, identify, preserve, recover, and restore photographs, motion pictures, and other iconographic material considered appropriate for preservation.

(c) Provide for an index to the historical photographic holdings of the Florida State Photographic Collection and the State of Florida.

Any use or reproduction of material deposited with the Florida State Photographic Collection shall be allowed pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1)(b) and subsection (4) provided that appropriate credit for its use is given.

(7) The division shall promulgate such rules as are necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

History.—s. 3, ch. 81-173; s. 131, ch. 83-217; s. 45, ch. 86-163; s. 1, ch. 89-63; s. 1, ch. 91-53; s. 6, ch. 91-221; s. 113, ch. 96-406; s. 36, ch. 2004-335; s. 7, ch. 2008-57; ss. 1, 2, ch. 2009-152.

Note.—Former s. 267.042.