Public records include land transactions and court cases. In general a public record is a written memorial, made by a public officer who is authorized by law to make it.

One notable exception are the records of adoption actions, which are generally closed.

In many jurisdictions, information once stored in print on paper is now recorded electronically and accessing it has become easier. For example, in some counties, deeds, which was once indexed in large ledger books, are now accessible via a computer. The ledger books required a working knowledge of the Russell system; the electronic system, by comparison, is much easier to use. In some counties, some public records can accessed remotely, from outside the courthouse. Other counties have in-house systems requiring a visit.

In a related vein, many lawyers, particularly younger ones, now to all legal research electronically. The law books on shelves in their offices are vestigial or even ornamental, there only because clients expect a lawyer’s office to have books on the shelves.

Divorce actions become a matter of public record.