INACTIVE RECORDS By Jettner Sickler Consultants Records Management

INACTIVE RECORDS By Jettner & Sickler Consultants, Records Management June, 2005

INTRODUCTION • • • ENVIRONMENTAL STORAGE ISSUES EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY NEEDS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT STAFF TRAINING ORGANIZATION OF THE RECORD STORAGE FACILITY RAISE AWARENESS

Environmental Storage Issues • LOCATION • HUMIDITY & TEMPERATURE CONTROLS • ADEQUATE SPACE • SECURITY • HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE • LIGHTING

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY NEEDS • 18 GAUGE STEEL SHELVING • STANDARD RECORDS CARTONS • LABELS (for shelving & cartons) • LADDER

POLICIES & PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT • • • MISSION STATEMENT AUTHORIZATION POLICIES PROCEDURES ORGANIZATION OF THE RECORDS CENTER • DEFINITION OF RELATED TERMS

POLICIES & PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT • MISSION STATEMENT: • SHOULD DEFINE THE GOALS OF THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 1. MAINTAIN, CARE FOR, PRESEVE RECORDS DURING ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE OF THE RECORD 2. STAFF TIME & COST EFFICIENT 3. EFFICIENT USE OF OFFICE SPACE 4. ENHANCE PUBLIC SERVICE THROUGH IMPROVED ACCESS TO RECORDS 5. PRESERVE SIGNIFICANT RECORDS 6. PROMOTE USE OF PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS

POLICIES & PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT • AUTHORIZATION: • • RECORDS ADVISORY COMMITTEE/BOARD RECORDS MANANGEMENT OFFICER RECORDS COORDINATOR SUPERVISOR LOCAL LAW: COPY OF LOCAL LAW OR RESOLUTION INCLUDED IN THE MANUAL • RETENTION & DISPOSITION SCHEDULE: COPY OF RESOLUTION ADOPTING APPROPRIATE SCHEDULE

POLICIES & PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT 1. 2. 3. 4. POLICIES SECURITY ISSUES ACCESS ISSUES MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS CENTER STORAGE OF NONRECORD MATERIALS

POLICIES & PROCEDURES DVELOPMENT • • • PROCEDURES: DESTRUCTION OF OBSOLETE RECORDS TRANSFER OF INACTIVE RECORDS TO RECORD CENTER RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS INVENTORY UPDATES

POLICIES & PROCEDURES OTHER PROCEDURES WHICH MAY BE DEVELOPMENT INCLUDED IF APPLICABLE: • • MICROFILM ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT IMAGING ARCHIVAL PROGRAM ACTIVE RECORDS: UNIFORM FILING SYSTEMS

POLICIES & PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT • ORGANIZATION OF RECORDS ROOM: – – – ARRANGEMENT BY DEPARTMENT, ARRANGEMENT BY RECORD SERIES TRACKING DISPOSITION DATES LABELING INDEX/LOCATOR SYSTEM

POLICIES & PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT DEFINITION OF TERMS: TERMS THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR TO OTHERS, EVEN IF THEY ARE COMMON TO THE RMO -RECORDS-NON-RECORD MATERIALSOBSOLETE RECORDS-RETENTION PERIODVITAL RECORDS-ARCHIVAL-REDACTIONMICROFORMS-ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT IMAGING-RECORD SERIES-ACTIVE FILESINACTIVE RECORDS-MISSION CRITICAL RECORDS-RMO-FINDING AID-DISASTER PLANNING-FILES MANAGEMENT-NEEDS ASSSESSMENT-UNIFORM FILING SYSTEMSLGRMIF

STAFF TRAINING • Determine who will be conducting routine records management procedures • Free resources: NYALGRO, SA, Workshops, Tech. Booklets, etc. • OTHER RESOURCES: IIMC classes, consultant services, ARMA, etc. • RMO CONDUCTS TRAINING

STAFF TRAINING: Conducted by RMO • Determine stakeholders within your organization • Hold a class: walk through process from desktop, file cabinet, to Record Center. • Hands on training (completing forms) more effective than lecture • Keep it simple…. .

ORGANIZATION OF RECORD CENTER • Assign shelving section for each department • Within each department’s section arrange records by records series (and each record series chronologically) • Determine labeling system and keep uniform throughout record center • Label shelving units • Create finding aid/index/locator system

RAISE AWARENESS OF YOUR PROGRAM • • Take before and after pictures Record Center Promote the need for Records Management throughout the development of the program with agency staff Press releases of all record activities. Strongly encourage active Records Advisory Committee Submit regular achievement reports to governing board Keep log of requests/retrievals to document usage Highlight progress during National Archives Week