Records Retirement

When to Retire Records

Decision best made on individual needs of your office

Assess: Access frequency Convenience value of records on hand

Weigh against: Personnel time Space costs

Preparing Records for Retirement

1st and most important step Organize

Screen records and remove extra copies (reference material, duplicate copies)

Place in manila or accordion folders Label each file folder Place files in the box in their proper

order

Ordering and Receiving Boxes To retire records to the Records Center

you must use Records Center Boxes, labels and transmittals

Send email to ephipps@shoreline.edu (shipping department at SCC bookstore) Delivery or pick up

These boxes are intended only for Records Center storage. Boxes for moving can be obtained from facilities

Box Particulars

Assembly instructions are provided with the boxes

Approx. 15” of letter-size material fit in one box (2 boxes will fit one letter-size file drawer)

Approx. 12” of legal-size material fit in one box (2 ½ boxes will fit one legal-size file

drawer

Boxing Records for Shipment

Boxes must be labeled and barcoded Can consist of one or more record

series (same disposal date and type i.e.

archival, essential) Boxes do not have to be full to be

retired to state records storage facility

General Rules for Packing Boxes

Preserve existing arrangement of files Boxes designed to hold 35 pounds Lid must close completely Leave 1” of free space in box Leave 4” of free space if you anticipate the

volume to increase in the box (additional files) Legal-size document face towards the right side

of box Letter-size documents face toward the front of

the box (label end) DO NOT PUT HANGING FILE FOLDERS INTO

BOXES

Retention Schedule

General Schedules for Washington State and Community Technical College

Use the retention schedule to determine record series codes and retention periods

Only retire or archive records that are original documents or your department is responsible for the maintenance of the record(s) original travel documents – Financial

Services

Record Storage Content List

The Records Center recommends a box content list be completed for retired files

For each box complete a Records Storage Content form

Forms will not be accepted without a record series code and disposal date.

Note: Disposal dates are to be calculated from the date of the document, not the date that you retire or archive the record

Final Steps

Email your completed Record Storage Content form to the Records Retention Officer

Records Officer will assign numbers to the forms and print them out in triplicate. You will be sent two copies of the form (pink and yellow )

Records Officer will prepare the barcodes and box labels

Labeling the Boxes

Place the box label in the designated area on the front of the box

Tape the yellow copy of the records list to the inside of the lid

Double check the box label number and the bar code number on the yellow form match

Retain the pink copy for your records Send email to Records Officer when

complete to schedule a pick up time