Kari Evenson, Williams County treasurer/recorder is having preliminary talks with title service company Deister, Ward & Witcher Inc., (DWW) to digitally reproduce the county's land and mineral records from the late 1800's to 1984. The process would be free if DWW can keep a copy of these records, which Evenson doesn't see as a problem since this information is public domain.
"This would save us an incredible amount of money and time," added Evenson.
She is exploring other alternatives, however, before making a decision.
Commission Chair Dan Kalil said the board is allowing Evenson to pursue this initiative. He believes having the records digitalized is important for the county, which has seen an increasing demand for mineral and land records. "It would allow for more people to access (the records) at the same time. Right now they are restricted to one person at the time," said Evenson.
In addition, utilizing this technology helps preserve original public records by decreasing wear and tear.
Some nearby counties like Mountrail and McKenzie have already converted to digitized records which DWW purchased, said Mitch Cowan, DWW president and CEO. Other counties, including Dunn County paid DWW $100,000 to conduct the transition from paper to digital. Cowan said the process takes from six months to one year.
"We go through every single book, page by page, so every page is accounted for," added Cowan.
He said digital records can also be uploaded to the county's Web site, which further reduces congestion in courthouses.
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