Statement on the use of text messaging and private e-mail

The use of personal e-mail accounts by state and local government personnel, whether elected, appointed, or employed, to conduct the people’s business is not recommended. Whenever a government office does not have control of its records it does not have the ability to maintain or provide access to those records. The Library of Virginia strongly encourages all public officials to use official government e-mail accounts for public business and refrain from conducting government business by text messaging.

The Council of State Archivists (CoSA), the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators, and the Society of American Archivists have also released a Joint Statement on Conducting Public Business in Non-Government Email Accounts. It is found on CoSA's Issue Briefs and Position Statements page.