records basics utah municipal clerks association annual conference – september 2013
TRANSCRIPT
RECORDS BASICSUtah Municipal Clerks Association
Annual Conference – September 2013
Records Basics
When you tell people what you do for a living how do they react?
Stereotyping such as: “So, you re-shelve files all day?” and “You’ll be out of a job soon, since everyone is
going paperless.”
Records Management is a dynamic field with emerging responsibilities in a world that is increasingly dependent upon technology.
Records Basics
Records Basics
Records and Information Management (RIM) programs are primarily concerned with 5 areas:
Organizing active records for retrieval when needed Ensuring compliance with recordkeeping laws and
regulations Determining how long to keep recorded information
(retention & disposition) Protecting vital records and incorporating that
protection into disaster recover and risk management plans
Managing inactive records
Definitions
Record Recorded information, regardless of medium or characteristics, made by an
organization in pursuance of legal obligations or in the transaction of business
Active Record Records needed to perform current operations that are subject to frequent
use
Inactive Record A record no longer needed to conduct current business but preserved until it
meets the end of its retention period
Record Copy Original or official copy of a record that is retained for legal, operational, or
historical purposes
Records Retention Schedule A comprehensive list of records series, indicating for each the length of time
it is to be maintained and its disposition
Active Records
The management of Active Records requires a records storage system and a well thought out filing system.
To establish the best possible filing system it is important to consider the objective of a filing system:
Retrieval of information Identify and preserve information Establishing a uniform classification system
Where do I start?
Records survey should be conducted to identify what records are stored and how they are used in the organization.
A records survey should include information such as:
location of records type of records amount of records; and how often the records are accessed
Where do I start?
Ogden’s Active Records
Ogden took a “big bucket” approach and has categories such as:
Official DocumentsContracts & Agreements
Property Documents
OrdinancesResolutions
Oaths of Office
LiensSubdivisionsStreet Name
Changes
Inter-local AgreementsConstruction
ContractLeases
Ogden’s Active Records
Staircase to Active Records Storage
Mezzanine
6,336 inches of filing space = 420 boxes
Inactive Records
Inactive Records
Preservation and management of inactive records involves records centers and archives management:
5 Major Causes of Damage to Records Fire and Smoke Water and Sewer Environmental Contamination Lighting Data Loss and Power Surges
Location of Record Centers - Basement or attic spaces should be avoided: Prime locations for water-related damage Subject to extreme temperatures Attics can have floor-weight issues
What we do with Records
10th Floor Records Center
400 Boxes
Basement Records Center
3,200 Boxes
Ogden’s Inactive Records
Yearly Activity 275 Boxes Checked In 380 Boxes Checked Out or
Destroyed 120,000 Pages Imaged &
Indexed Monthly Activity 23 Boxes Checked In 32 Boxes Checked out or
Destroyed 10,000 Pages Imaged and
Indexed
Management of approximately 4,020 boxes of Records
Ogden’s Inactive Records
10th Floor Records Center – Attic Level
Ogden’s Inactive Records
Sort records by type Refer to the Recorder’s Bible
– the Retention Schedule Create a Records Transfer
Sheet – include: Dates Description of records Retention Schedule
Non-Permanent Transfer Sheet
Permanent Transfer Sheet
Ogden’s Inactive Records
Label the outside of your box
Things to consider
PaperMost general copy paper is acid free now.
Basic copy paper from Staples (STP135848) is acid free and what Ogden uses for most documents.
File FoldersLoose unbound records should be stored
in folders for support and protection; when historical, vital, or valuable records are filed, acid-free folders should be used. Acid-free folders are not easily available from office supply stores.
Things to consider
Bound BooksMinimally bindings that are broken or
weak should be tied with white, flat, cotton twill tape to keep covers and spine pieces from being separated. Should be tied securely but not too tightly, with knot or bow positioned across from the binding, so “bump” won’t interfere with shelving.
Boxing is an alternative for damaged volumes and provides greater protection than tying.
Questions/Discussion
Records Management is a huge undertaking. We all have different organizations, different spaces, different needs. Customize your system to fit your organization.
Questions/Discussion
Tracy Hansen, MMC
Ogden City Recorder
2549 Washington Blvd., #210 - Ogden, UT 84401
801-629-8156