Records Retention - help is a click away!

Operations and Facilities Manager Miranda Hofmann writes:

By now, we have met with each of your departments to discuss your available file space in the new building. Now, those of you who know me know that I’m a bit of a freak about records, preservation, storage and organization, and I am here to tell you that it will all be okay, really.

Currently, a good portion of filing space is taken up by files that must be held on to for a certain number of years, e.g., faculty search files, and then destroyed. Most likely, these files are not often referenced, or even touched at all, during that required retention time. Seems like a waste of precious file space, doesn’t it? Well, do we have a solution for you!

The State Records Center will store these files for you and then destroy them when you tell them to, wait for it, for FREE!

This document from University Archives on the State Records Center explains how to use their services for off-site file storage for search files: http://archives.library.wisc.edu/records/handouts/Using%20the%20State%20Records%20Center.pdf

The storage boxes can be ordered from MDS, under MDS Warehouse -Office Supplies and File Cabinets-Record Storage Cartons. The most recent records retention schedule for unclassified personnel records, which covers faculty/academic staff search files, can be found here:
http://archives.library.wisc.edu/records/schedules/2011Unclassified%20GRS1.pdf

You may also find this document about archiving academic department records helpful: http://archives.library.wisc.edu/records/schedules/GRS_DeptAcadAdmin.pdf
NOTE: There is a difference between Archives and State Records.

Please see the information on the fabulous Records Management section of the University Archives website for more information: http://archives.library.wisc.edu/records/
If you have any questions or need guidance, the staff at University Archives is always happy to help!

Their site also contains a ton of information about Records Management (for those of you, like me, who are a little on the dorky side), as well as a treasure trove of links to the Digital Collections of the University Archives. That’s right, pictures of people sledding down Bascom Hill during the Coolidge Administration! How cool is that?

Looking forward to helping everyone transition into Nancy Nicholas Hall – we’re in for a great ride!