All files in the Carbon County Recorder of Deeds office will soon begin getting digitized.

On Thursday, the board of commissioners approved a request from Donna Gentile, recorder of deeds, for an agreement with Reynolds Business Systems of Emmaus to convert all books and microfiche files to digital format at a cost of $427,098.07. The cost is funded through the American Rescue Plan county recovery funds.

Gentile said that her office’s documents, which include deeds, mortgages, mortgage satisfactions, mortgage assignments, etc., are all scanned to create a digital file once they are received.

“As of right now, only our files from 1988 to present are in digital format with online access,” she said. “The earlier files are still in book and microfiche form and are only available to the public and title searchers by coming to the office in person.

“One of my main responsibilities as the Recorder of Deeds is to record land record documents, maintain and to ensure the public access to these records. This will give the public and title searchers the option to search the records from home or their office keeping our staff, the title searchers and the public safer during pandemic events.

“It will also provide the ability to search when access to the Recorder of Deeds office is limited, or the office is closed during future pandemic events, holidays, snow days etc.”

Gentile noted that using ARP funds will provide a savings to the taxpayers and will also eliminate the cost associated with preserving the printed records that become aged over the years, as well as the restoration and rebounding of the books and replacing microfiche equipment.

“This would also create a permanent backup of our files in case of a fire, flood or other natural disaster,” she said.