Probate Clerk Pam Ennis asked the board to add a request to an upcoming court agenda to restore fragile marriage-record books, showing an example book from 1912 and describing the public-research need.
Ennis said she previously obtained a quote of $6,271 to refurbish a single marriage book. She said a vendor was running a promotion to restore five books for a price she referenced as “18.05” in the meeting; Ennis said that promotional package would save about $12,855 compared with individual-book pricing. Ennis said the vendor’s work would treat pages, place each page in its own protective sleeve, and bind the pages into a disaster-resistant, water-protective binder; the package would also produce an index. She said that digitization was not included in the quoted work and that the restored physical books would remain in her office.
Ennis asked to add the restoration request to the Thursday court agenda; the board approved adding the item to the agenda. Ennis said she intended to pursue the five-book deal for immediate needs and then budget for one book per year thereafter.
Why it matters: the books are used by genealogical researchers and the public; Ennis said several volumes are brittle and need conservation to prevent further deterioration.
Discussion and next steps: the board approved placing the item on the Thursday court agenda; no appropriation decision or final dollar authorization was recorded in the transcript. Ennis said some volumes have already been microfilmed or copied but several original books remain in fragile condition.