Vital Records: Vital records are those essential organizational records needed to meet operational responsibilities under emergency or disaster conditions. Loss of dynamic function in electronic files such as spreadsheets or databases.It may be more cost effective to just store the paper records that have short or intermediate retention periods.Microfilm is technology dependent, but not to the extent of electronic records(one could argue that all that is needed is a light source and something to magnify the image).Microfilming of Paper and Electronic Records Cons:.If silver halide microfilm is created and stored in accordance with industry standards, one can expect it to last from 300 to 500 years as such it is the hands down winner in regard to preservation of information in an eye-readable format and provides a useful migration and disaster recovery tool. Microfilming of Paper and Electronic Records Pros: Microfilm has entered the digital age and can now be created directly from electronic files, as well as from from the photographing of paper records.potential for format and/or system incompatibility.may not be cost effective for low-reference records.access to documents is technology dependent.easier to replicate for disaster recovery purposes.reduces the amount of physical space one needs to store records.enhances efficiencies of the business process and workflow.What are the environmental condition of your storage facilities?Īt some point in a records life it may be converted to a digital image, to microfilm, or both to enhance access, reduce physical storage, or to provide disaster recovery and preservation tools.Have you identified your Vital Records?.How are you storing your electronic records?.What are your procedures for transferring records of enduring historical value to the archives?.
Do you have a "records hold" procedure in event of litigation?.Where and how do you store your inactive records?.Where and how do you store your active records?.What are the access procedures for sensitive records?.How do you classify your records for ease of retrieval?.Records Storage & Conversion: Once one has determined what records they have and how long they need to be retained, they need to develop a filing and storage strategy and/or determine if their existing filing and storage strategy is adequate. A listing of common OSU record types can be located via our Records Retention Schedules web pages. Records retention schedules at OSU are developed in consultation with the University Archives. how long it may need to be retained in off-site inactive storage.how long the records should be maintained in active on-site files.a legal or regulatory citation that mandates a specific retention.In addition a retention schedule may indicate: The record's lifecycle is determined through analysis of:Ī records retention schedule is a comprehensive listing of the records an organization maintains that notes at a minimum how long they must be retained along with their ultimate disposition. That life may be as short as a few hours as is the case with some transientrecords or may be as long as forever as is the case with records of enduring historical value. Retention Scheduling: All records have a lifecycle. what its retention period is, if known OR its legal, fiscal, and/or administrative value, to determine retention.how and where they are physically stored.To this end one conducts a records inventory, that is a complete and accurate listing of their records , whether paper-based, microform, or electronic, that indicates… Records Inventory & Classification: The start of any good records management program, whether one is going to develop their own records retention schedule or as the case here at OSU where one is applying existing retention schedules, one has to know what records they have and are responsible for.