mdlandrec.net Version 3 Roll Out

Internal and internal functional testing began on Thursday, September 17, 2009. At that time, electronic copies of the revised User's Manual, a link to the test server URL, and appropriate user IDs and passwords were emailed to all of the clerks so that they might participate in the testing and evaluation of Version 3. Ten days later we expanded the circle of testers to include targeted system users from the public and private sectors. Input from all our testers is greatly appreciated.

Functional testing should continue until at least the end of November, and is expected to reveal user issues that will need to be addressed and corrected before the system can "go live". Currently, we are anticipating roll out of Version 3 statewide in early 2010.

plats.net Enhancement

We have been able to make substantial strides with plats.net enhancements. Our main focus has been on Worcester County plats, where Mr. Hales kindly volunteered to act as a pilot. Here are some of the things that we have done so far to enhance plats.net:

• Since June 17th 2009, we have been posting PDF images for all prospective Worcester County plats added to plats.net. Archival staff were very pleased with quality and printability of pdfs in testing. We want to know what system users think, and welcome feedback from Court staff and the public in Worcester County and elsewhere.
• Archives has scanned traditional Worcester County plat indexes from archival microfilm copies in our possession. These have been made available on plats.net as they have been in 9 other jurisdictions.
• We also have turned off the electronic index series for Worcester County previously available in plats.net. This will eliminate those search returns for which there are no associated images that have been the source of confusion for many years.
• We have instituted new quality assurance procedures that add an additional level of quality inspection into the process. This will help us catch errors that were missed in the initial quality assurance inspections. This additional level of review has so far kept us from posting some indexing errors (misspellings, incomplete information), and incomplete multi-page filings.

Serious work can begin on this project once Version 3 roll out has been completed. Plats.net and mdlandrec.net, developed at different times and incorporating very different functional requirements, are two very different systems in design and function. At this time, we do not know how we will reconcile these very different approaches into a single system. Both approaches have advantages, and both have disadvantages. Neither is a perfect system. As a first step in this process, the Archives approached the Circuit Court Clerks Automation Committee with a request that the clerks to develop a clear understanding of your business requirements for such a new, combined plats/land records system. This list of clerk requirements can then be integrated into a functional requirements document for the combined system.

Previous Reports

• May 1, 2009
• June 1, 2009
• July 14, 2009
• September 1, 2009