Which of the following is a common record medium for public information?

• A. Paper
• B. Oil
• C. Glass
• D. Wood

Answer: (A)

Public records are managed in ways that keep information accessible, verifiable, and preservable over time. Paper has long been the standard medium because it is tangible, easy to reproduce, file, and share, and it fits well with retention rules and public access processes. Properly stored paper documents can be kept legible for many years and can be produced to the public without needing specialized equipment.

Oil, glass, and wood aren’t practical for maintaining large, legible public records. Oil is a liquid that would damage documents; glass and wood aren’t suitable for scalable, durable filing and long-term preservation, and they don’t support efficient searching or copying.