Will County running out of space to kept records

Record keepers in Will County are running out of storage space.

The director of Will County's records management department tells The Herald-News in Joliet his staff already maintains more than 10,000 boxes of records. And Mike Thompson says that doesn't include other documents, like court reporters' records.

Thompson says storage space is running out, but there's still a steady flow of incoming records. To cope, he estimates his department will need an additional 10,000 square feet of space within ten years.

Part of the problem is state and local governments are mandating more and more records be archived. Often, physical papers are required, so keeping records electronically isn't always an option.

The problem has been raised with county board members. But Thompson says there's no easy solution.