Public records are accessed and used frequently beyond their retention period. Often, the records are the subject of FOIL or OPRA requests or are the focus for other investigations or litigation. This can lead to unnecessary search for old documents and a substantial administrative burden when it comes to retrieving the required information to fulfill these requests. A well-organized digital records management system and strict adherence to records preservation schedules are the best ways to prevent this type of issue.
To determine what type of document is, it is necessary to know its context. A document that is the original copy of a report that contains important information should be stored in a more permanent way than a draft version of the same document.
Retention Schedules is legal document that defines the length for which documents should be kept and when it may be destroyed or transferred into the archives (or any other disposal option). A strict adherence to these schedules is the best method for making sure that you don’t search for old documents in response to access requests.
Schedules are classified as ADMIN https://derwentmills.com/2023/06/07/retention-of-public-records/ USE (for administrative use) or PERMANENT (for permanent preservation) or TRANSFERRED TO Archives for REVIEW according to the preservation level needed for a specific record. The PERMANENT category includes records like policies and procedures, handbooks, minutes of council and board meetings, institutional accreditation reports as well as other important documents. The TRANSFER to Archives for Review category includes documents that are not considered permanent, but they have a significant level of archival importance. These include documents of the president or other senior administration officials, governance group handbooks or minutes and commencement or inaugural occasions, and other important documents.
