Bring your historical records online without reindexing

Online Index Books (OIB) gives your historical records a second life online. By pairing digital images of your index books and related record books with retrieval software built to work the way your office already does, OIB mimics your hardcopy system exactly — so the original design and integrity of your filing system remains unchanged. That matters because it dramatically reduces both the expense and the assumed liability of interpreting older, handwritten records.

OIB complements your existing records management system rather than replacing it, extending 24/7 access to the historical records your current system doesn’t reach. A searcher enters search criteria and is placed on the first page of the index where the information resides, then electronically “pages” through the appropriate section to find what they need. Once located, they enter the book and page number to retrieve the image. Customized for your office, OIB eliminates manual searching and saves wear and tear on records you can’t replace.

Why counties preserve records this way

Customers who have implemented OIB describe the same relief: records that were physically crumbling from decades of handling are no longer handled at all.

“Many of our records were literally crumbling apart from overuse. OIB significantly reduces the amount of handling and helps preserve our records. I feel better knowing our records are stored electronically and will always be available.”

— Brenda Roberts, Clerk of Court, Monroe County, OH

“I worked with Cott Systems to develop a method to preserve the documents without ANY reindexing, and Online Index Books was born. I am so grateful for the dedication and hard work invested by both Fayette County and Cott Systems.”

— Sheila Studdard, Clerk of Superior Court, Fayette County, GA

“Since working with Cott, I have real confidence in never losing a record, and OIB has significantly reduced staff time from handling books and making copies. Best of all, Cott’s e-commerce feature and our subscriber program has been able to generate revenue for the county.”

— Mary Weiderman (retired), County Clerk, Chenango County, NY

What OIB gives your office

• Anytime online access to historical records for your constituents
• Faster remote searching of historical records from your own desktop
• A search experience customized to mimic your existing paper-based system
• Lower cost than reindexing, with projects phased to fit your budget
• A complement to your current system that extends access to your full library of records
• A secure, electronic backup of records you can’t afford to lose