It shall be the duty of the department to:

(1) Establish and administer, under the direction of a state records management officer, who shall be employed under the rules and regulations of the state merit system, a records management program;

(2) Develop and issue procedures, rules, and regulations establishing standards for efficient and economical management methods relating to the creation, maintenance, utilization, retention, preservation, and disposition of records, filing equipment, supplies, microfilming of records, and vital records programs;

(3) Assist state agencies in implementing records programs by providing consultative services in records management, conducting surveys in order to recommend more efficient records management practices, and providing training for records management personnel; and

(4) Operate a records center or centers which shall accept all records transferred to it through the operation of approved retention schedules, provide secure storage and reference service for the same, and submit written notice to the applicable agency of intended destruction of records in accordance with approved retention schedules.