Pg. 13 of 20 - Classification & Appraisal - Considerations

PRO-TIPS

  1. Assign record-keeping responsibilities and train division staff members. Links to an external site.
    • This is the person within your group, most often the Data Steward, who is responsible for completing the following tasks per state statute.
  2. Organize your records. Links to an external site.
    • Begin by separating records from non-records. Make it clear which copies are following the retention schedule by separating record copies from other copies.
  3. Inventory your division’s records. Links to an external site.
    • The general and series-specific retention schedules that your agency uses should be reviewed regularly in relation to the records that your agency is maintaining. Conceptualize the functions of your agency and the records that are created as a result of fulfilling those functions. 
  4. Find the general retention schedules and your division’s series-specific retention schedules. Links to an external site.
    • General retention schedules identify and apply to records that are common to a particular function or type of division in order to promote consistent retention practices. General schedules are already approved by the State Records Committee for use and you can access them via the Archives website. A division may have a record series that is not depicted on any general schedule, or that needs to be kept for a longer or shorter period than that which is on the general schedule. In that case, an agency’s records officer can obtain approval for a unique retention schedule for that record series, referred to as a series-specific retention schedule.
  5. Understand the general retention schedules and your division’s series-specific retention schedules. Links to an external site.
  6. Distribute applicable retention schedules to staff; garner and document staff feedback. Links to an external site.
  7. Establish plans for reformatting, data migration, and records storage. Links to an external site.
  8. Update and add to your retention schedules as necessary. Links to an external site.
    • Editing an existing retention schedule or creating a new series-specific retention schedule can be accomplished with the assistance of a records analyst Links to an external site. employed at the State Archives. It is a good idea to contact a records analyst early in the process of updating your schedules to receive guidance and avoid wasted effort. 

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