Ohio § 9.01

§ 9.01.

When any officer, office, court, commission, board, institution, department, agent,

or employee of the state, of a county, or of any other political subdivision who is

charged with the duty or authorized or required by law to record, preserve, keep,

maintain, or file any record, document, plat, court file, paper, or instrument in

writing, or to make or furnish copies of any of them, deems it necessary or advisable,

when recording or making a copy or reproduction of any of them or of any such record,

for the purpose of recording or copying, preserving, and protecting them, reducing

space required for storage, or any similar purpose, to do so by means of any photostatic,

photographic, miniature photographic, film, microfilm, or microphotographic process,

or perforated tape, magnetic tape, other magnetic means, electronic data processing,

machine readable means, or graphic or video display, or any combination of those processes,

means, or displays, which correctly and accurately copies, records, or reproduces,

or provides a medium of copying, recording, or reproducing, the original record, document,

plat, court file, paper, or instrument in writing, such use of any of those processes,

means, or displays for any such purpose is hereby authorized.  Any such records, copies, or reproductions may be made in duplicate, and the duplicates

shall be stored in different buildings.  The film or paper used for a process shall comply with the minimum standards of

quality approved for permanent photographic records by the national bureau of standards.  All such records, copies, or reproductions shall carry a certificate of authenticity

and completeness, on a form specified by the director of administrative services through

the state records program. Any such officer, office, court, commission, board, institution, department, agent,

or employee of the state, of a county, or of any other political subdivision may purchase

or rent required equipment for any such photographic process and may enter into contracts

with private concerns or other governmental agencies for the development of film and

the making of reproductions of film as a part of any such photographic process.  When so recorded, or copied or reproduced to reduce space required for storage or

filing of such records, such photographs, microphotographs, microfilms, perforated

tape, magnetic tape, other magnetic means, electronic data processing, machine readable

means, graphic or video display, or combination of these processes, means, or displays,

or films, or prints made therefrom, when properly identified by the officer by whom

or under whose supervision they were made, or who has their custody, have the same

effect at law as the original record or of a record made by any other legally authorized

means, and may be offered in like manner and shall be received in evidence in any

court where the original record, or record made by other legally authorized means,

could have been so introduced and received.  Certified or authenticated copies or prints of such photographs, microphotographs,

films, microfilms, perforated tape, magnetic tape, other magnetic means, electronic

data processing, machine readable means, graphic or video display, or combination

of these processes, means, or displays, shall be admitted in evidence equally with

the original. Such photographs, microphotographs, microfilms, or films shall be placed and kept

in conveniently accessible, fireproof, and insulated files, cabinets, or containers,

and provisions shall be made for preserving, safekeeping, using, examining, exhibiting,

projecting, and enlarging them whenever requested, during office hours. All persons utilizing the methods described in this section for keeping records and

information shall keep and make readily available to the public the machines and equipment

necessary to reproduce the records and information in a readable form.