When should I send records for storage?

The timing of sending records to storage is a decision best made after evaluating the individual needs of your office. In general, Records Management suggests that you assess your access frequency and the convenience value of having the records on hand. You can then weigh that against the personnel and space costs of having the records on site.

Obviously, there is no absolute guideline for determining when the balance tips in favor of sending a set of material to Records Management. That decision is left up to the Records Custodian. Contact the Records Manager if you'd like more guidance.

Ordering and receiving boxes.

Boxes for your records can be ordered by e-mailing "Records Management." Please include the following information in your Blitz:

• Quantity of boxes requested
• Delivery location
• Account number to charge (unless specified, Records Management charges to subcode .200)

You will want to order approximately 2 boxes for each full file drawer of letter size material or 3 boxes for each file drawer of legal size material. Material in Pendaflex hanging folders is packed as if it were legal size (see Packing Your Records below).

Putting boxes together.

When you receive the boxes they will arrive flat. The steps to fold the box are printed on the side. If you have any problems following these instructions, call Records Management for more help.

Packing your records.

The packing guidelines are printed on the side of each box. They are included and expanded upon here for reference.

• Use Records Management boxes only. See Ordering and receiving boxes above. It is important that only these boxes be used. This ensures that the boxes will fit properly on the shelves, and also helps to improve security by having all the boxes look the same.
• Pack only one type of record (record series) in each box. If you have any questions about how best to separate your material, contact Records Management. Keeping the material separate allows material to be disposed based upon record series.
• Do not send Pendaflex hanging folders. Hanging folders eventually destroy the box, often within the first year of storage. If you must include Pendaflex, pack the files lengthwise in the box to avoid them hanging on the cardboard edges.
• Do not put any markings on the box. Records Management is a secure facility. Boxes have no labels other than the computer numbers assigned. Any writings you put on the box must be taped over. This is done so that in the event of a security breach no material could be found by browsing the labels on the boxes.
• REQUIRED: Include a Box Transfer Form. It is required that you include a copy of this form in every box shipped to Records Management. This form contains information vital to the proper cataloging of your material. Careful completion of this form is the single most important step in ensuring accurate access, retention and disposition of your records. Copies of this form can be downloaded from the Forms page on this website. Attaching an itemization of contents to the Box Transfer form is optional, but does allow you to keep a record of what material you sent.

If you have any questions on these packing guidelines, contact Records Management.

Having boxes picked up.

When the boxes are ready to be sent to to the Records Center, simply Blitz "Records Management" with the room location and the number of boxes to be stored. They will usually be picked up within 4-6 working hours.

The cataloging process

When your material arrives at the Records Management facility, it undergoes a process called "accessioning." In this process the material is cataloged into a relational database system and itemized on several levels, from the broadest "Department" level to the most specific "File" level. A quick discussion of this system will allow you to better understand how your material is cataloged, and thus make more informed requests.

The Records Management hierarchical catalog contains the following levels:

• Department. Your department has a single four digit number, which applies to all material your department produces. At this level is information such as your department name, the name of the Records Custodian, and relevant contact information.
• Series. Each department will typically produce several record series. Each series has a single four digit number to identify it. Also stored at this level is information such as the series name, the retention period, the disposition method, notes on typical contents, organization schemes, etc.
• Accession. Each record series will typically have several accessions, each representing a time period of that series. For instance, each year of the series "Purchasing Card Transactions" will be a separate accession. Each accession is identified by a five digit number, the first two digits of which signify the year of the accession. Information stored at this level also includes beginning and ending dates, disposition due dates, hold status, etc.
• Box. Each accession will typically have several boxes. This level of cataloging corresponds with each physical box placed on the shelves. Each box is identified by a six digit number. Information cataloged at this level also includes box content descriptions, box location numbers, etc.
• File. The final and most detailed cataloging level is the file title. Each box will typically have many files, and each file is identified by a unique seven digit number, along with the file title itself.

In utilizing this scheme, a typical file will thus be catalogued with a series of identifiers, as follows:

       DPTN: 1053
       SERN: 2462
       ACCN: 95120
       BOXN: 101487
       FILN: 1450274
   FILENAME: GOGUEN YVON J

Accession, box and file numbers are assigned by Records Management upon receipt of the material. However, department and series numbers (in red above) must be assigned by the department before material is sent, and included on the Box Transfer form (see Appendix C). These numbers can be found by consulting the retention schedule or generated file reports. Carefully assigning these numbers will ensure that material is properly cataloged.

If you know a series is a new type of material for Records Management, it is important to note that, and complete the appropriate section of the Box Transfer form, so a new series can be created.

Generation of reports

At your request a variety of record reports can be generated, in a variety of formats. Having these reports on hand will facilitate your requests, and allow you to find department and series numbers when you send new material to be cataloged. These reports can be customized to best meet your needs, in some of the following ways:

• Level of cataloging. Since the catalog is hierarchical, Records Management can generate a report that is limited to the record series level, or is itemized all the way to file title, or any level in between.
• Records selected. Often a report is needed for only a particular record series, or for only a particular range of dates. Special reports like this are easily generated.
• Information included. If you have a need to include or exclude specific information, the report be customized to meet your needs.
• Format. Most reports are generated as text files, allowing them to be searched using a word processor's "Find" command. However, in special situations Records Management can generate reports directly into database, spreadsheet, or in text delimited formats.
• Hard copy reports. Although Records Management prefers to generate and distribute reports electronically (in order to conserve paper and resources), special circumstances may necessitate paper reports. These can be generated and delivered to your office.

Customized reports can also be generated directly from the RMS On-Line system.

For more information on customizing a report to suit your needs, contact the Records Manager. (Reports can vary widely depending on content, but here is one text example.)