(1) There is created within the Division of Library and Information Services of the Department of State the Florida International Archive and Repository for the preservation of those public records, as defined in s. 119.011, manuscripts, international judgments involving disputes between domestic and foreign businesses, and all other public matters that the department or the Florida Council of International Development deems relevant to international issues. It is the duty and responsibility of the division to:

(a) Organize and administer the Florida International Archive and Repository.

(b) Preserve and administer records that are transferred to its custody; accept, arrange, and preserve them, according to approved archival and repository practices; and permit them, at reasonable times and under the supervision of the division, to be inspected and copied. All public records transferred to the custody of the division are subject to the provisions of s. 119.07(1).

(c) Assist the records and information management program in the determination of retention values for records.

(d) Cooperate with and assist, insofar as practicable, state institutions, departments, agencies, counties, municipalities, and individuals engaged in internationally related activities.

(e) Provide a public research room where, under rules established by the division, the materials in the international archive and repository may be studied.

(f) Conduct, promote, and encourage research in international trade, government, and culture and maintain a program of information, assistance, coordination, and guidance for public officials, educational institutions, libraries, the scholarly community, and the general public engaged in such research.

(g) Cooperate with and, insofar as practicable, assist agencies, libraries, institutions, and individuals in projects concerned with internationally related issues and preserve original materials relating to internationally related issues.

(h) Assist and cooperate with the records and information management program in the training and information program described in s. 257.36(1)(g).

(2) Any agency is authorized and empowered to turn over to the division any record no longer in current official use. The division may accept such record and provide for its administration and preservation as provided in this section and, upon acceptance, be considered the legal custodian of such record. The division may direct and effect the transfer to the archives of any records that are determined by the division to have such historical or other value to warrant their continued preservation or protection, unless the head of the agency that has custody of the records certifies in writing to the division that the records must be retained in the agency’s custody for use in the conduct of the regular current business of the agency.

(3) Title to any record transferred to the Florida International Archive and Repository, as authorized in this chapter, is vested in the division.

(4) The division shall make certified copies under seal of any record transferred to it upon the application of any person, and the certificates shall have the same force and effect as if made by the agency from which the record was received. The division may charge a fee for this service based upon the cost of service.

(5) The division may establish and maintain a schedule of fees for services that may include, but need not be limited to, restoration of materials, storage of materials, special research services, and publications.

(6) The division shall establish and maintain a mechanism by which the information contained within the Florida International Archive and Repository may be accessed by computer via the World Wide Web. In doing so, the division shall take whatever measures it deems appropriate to ensure the validity, quality, and safety of the information being accessed.

(7) The Florida Council of International Development may select materials for inclusion in the Florida International Archive and Repository and shall be consulted closely by the division in all matters relating to its establishment and maintenance.

History.—s. 79, ch. 99-251; s. 35, ch. 2004-335; s. 6, ch. 2008-57; s. 52, ch. 2012-116.