The goal of a successful records management program is to control efficiently and economically the active materials in an office and dispose of inactive records in a sensible and systematic way. Records management programs are based on the idea of the life cycle of records. This idea is explained in the previous section: Principles of Records Management.
Participating in the University records management program enables offices to work more efficiently, and saves time, money, and resources. The first step is to determine if the current filing system meets the needs of the office. The Archives is available to consult with office staff about their filing systems and needs. For more information about this service, contact x2351 or archives [at] neu [dot] edu.
A preliminary way for office staff to determine if the current system meets their needs is to consider the following questions:
An organized and standardized system that minimizes duplication and misfiling is economical in that it saves time during initial retrieval, prevents losing files and filing duplicate records. An efficient filing system, records classification system, and appropriate filing equipment solve most common records storage and retrieval problems.
Physical and intellectual control of active records both empowers and protects an office or department. This control is realized through retention and disposition schedules, developed by the University Archives in conjunction with the office or department, which identify permanent records of long-term value and records whose value is contingent on such factors as duplication or time. Adhering to the schedules minimizes potential legal problems by keeping only what needs to be kept and only for the required retention period.
The highest priority is balancing departmental needs with established records management principles. This is accomplished by consulting with office staff to establish guidelines that work for them. Disposing of, recycling, or removing inactive records to the University Archives according to established schedules allows more effective use of active records and contributes to office efficiency.
The University Archives manages inactive records efficiently, and inactive records are readily available to the office that created them. Contact the Archives and Special Collections Department (archives [at] neu [dot] edu) for assistance in developing a records schedule relative to your particular department's needs and function.
Records are classified according to the role they play in recording the history of an organization and/or their importance to the continuity of operation of the organization.
The following is a general list of record types, in order of priority:
The classification of some records can be more difficult than others. Litigation and other issues sometimes makes it necessary to retain certain records longer than their initial classification required. Retention and disposition schedules are generally determined according to the classification of records.
