Public Records Policy
It is the policy of the Putnam County District Library (PCDL) to adhere to the state’s Public Records
Act. Public records are to be open to the public at all reasonable times with exceptions only as
provided by law. The Records Retention Schedule shall be in a location readily available to the
public. A poster describing this Public Records Policy shall be displayed at all PCDL library
locations. All requests are to be referred to the Director.
Definition of Public Records:
In accordance with the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 149.351 and applicable judicial decisions,
records are defined as any item that:
- Contains information stored on a fixed medium such as
a. Paper
b. Electronic, including but not limited to email and other formats - Is created or received by, or sent under the jurisdiction of a public office
- Documents the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other
activities of the PCDL
Records Requests
- An individual making a public record request is under no obligation to put the request in
writing and does not have to provide his or her identity or the intended use of the requested
public record - Although no specific language is required to make a request, the requestor must at least
identify the records requested with sufficient clarity to allow the PCDL to identify, retrieve,
and review the records. - If it is not clear what records are being sought the PCDL may deny the request, but shall
provide the requestor an opportunity for revision by informing them of the manner in which
the records are maintained and accessed by the PCDL.
Record Availability
1. As required by Ohio law, records will be available for inspection and copying.
2. Public records responsive to a request will be promptly prepared and made available for
inspection to any person at reasonable times during regular business hours with the
exception of published holidays. “Prompt” and “reasonable” take into account the
following:
a. Volume of records requested.
b. Proximity of the location where the records are stored.
c. Necessity for any legal review of the records requested.
d. The effort required to redact confidential information.
3. Routine requests shall be satisfied immediately, if feasible to do so. Routine requests
include the following:
a. meeting minutes
b. budgets
c. salary information
d. forms and applications
e. personnel rosters
4. If a request is deemed significantly beyond “routine” such as seeking a voluminous number
or copies, requiring extensive research, or requiring redaction of confidential information,
a good faith effort will be made to provide the requestor with the following:
a. An estimated number of business days it will take to satisfy the request.
b. An estimated cost if copies are requested.
c. Any items within the request that may be exempt from disclosure.
Denials/Redactions
1. Any denial of a public record request will include an explanation
2. If portions of the requested record are public and portions are exempt, the exempt portions
will be redacted and the reset released. When portions of the requested public record are
redacted, each redaction will be accompanied by a supporting explanation.
E-Mails
E-mails from private accounts that meet the definition of public records shall be made available
for inspection and copying in accordance with the Public Records Act. E-mail not subject to
disclosure may be deleted when the content is no longer administratively useful. E-mail will be
treated in the same fashion as records in other formats and shall follow the same record retention
schedules.
Costs For Public records
- All copies, postage, and/or supplies will be paid for in advance
- Those seeking public records will be charged for the actual cost of making copies.
- If the requestor would like the information mailed to them the following charges apply:
a. The cost of postage if the information is transmitted by United States mail
b. The cost of delivery if the copy is to be transmitted other than by United States mail
c. The costs incurred for other supplies used in the mailing, delivery, or transmission.
Effective 2-19-2008
Public Information Request Form
Name ____________________________________ Date_________________________
Telephone Number_________________________ Fax Number_______________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________________________
City____________________________________ State ______________ Zip______________
To expedite your request, be as specific as possible. Include document dates, and other details about the records of interest. Items Requested (be specific)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After your request is reviewed, the PCDL Director will contact you. Duplication fees are listed below; you will be notified of the total cost when contacted.
Regular copies - .05 per page
Fax rate – 2.00 for the first five pages, $1.00 a page after that CDs or disks - $5/disk + $25/hour data processing fee
If the information is mailed regular rates apply. You will be contacted with the exact cost.
All payments must be made prior to delivery of the information.