S.C. Code Regs. § 12-200
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History (hereinafter called the Department) has the responsibility under the Public Records Act (Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976. Section 30-1-10 through 30-1-140 ) to establish quality standards for microfilming and microfilm records. The Uniform Photographic Copies of Business and Public Records as Evidence Act (Acts and Joint Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, Regular Session of 1978, pages 1632-34) authorizes the use of microfilm for legal purposes. The purpose of these standards is to enable the requirements of both statutes to be met and records determined to have archival or long-term retention value to be safeguarded. Some records of short-term retention value are converted to microfilm to save space or to provide quick retrieval. Minimum standards for microfilm of these short-term records are also provided here.
These quality standards for the microfilming of public records in South Carolina are derived from applicable Federal Micrographics Standards published in 36 Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter XII, Subchapter B. See the Microfilm Standards Attachment accompanying the Department's standards for reference. In general, section 1230.4 Definitions, and portions of Subpart A--Standards for Creation of Microform Records and Subpart B--Standards for the Maintenance, Use and Disposition of Microform Records of Part 1230--Micrographics, published in the Federal Register, Vol. 50, No. 125, pp. 26935-26937 are referred to in the South Carolina standards and practices which are divided into three sections below for convenience in reference and application. Where there are differences between the two, in the density ranges for example, the State standards are preferred.
The State standards are divided into the following sections:
General Standards and Practices for the Microfilming of Public Records (applicable to all public records filmed or converted to microfilm regardless of retention value).
Standards and Practices for Records of Archival Value (Perpetual Retention) and Records of Long-term Retention Value (10-100 years).
Standards and Practices for Records of Short-term Retention Value (less than 10 years).
S.C. Code Regs. 12-200