Selectboard considers hiring seasonal scanner; restoration fund could pay for digitization

Town staff reported progress toward making land records and older volumes accessible online and proposed hiring a student or part‑time seasonal worker to scan backlog pages and help create searchable indexes. The presenter noted that an existing restoration fund has about $26,000 that could be used for digitization costs, including vendor fees and hourly wages for a temporary hire.

Board members asked for specifics on scope and cost. Staff said reports and printouts can identify missing pages and prioritise which books to digitize first. The board agreed that staff should draft a short job description, a funding plan tapping the restoration fund where appropriate, and an implementation schedule to present at the next meeting.