You are here

Letter for RMOs to Email to Retirees in Their Respective Agencies

Congratulations on your impending retirement. Before you leave, consider what you should do to properly dispose of your records. The State Archives has prepared the following information to help you manage your records before your retirement.

Records are information, in any format, that is created or received by an agency in the formal operation of its responsibilities. Keep in mind that agency records may not be destroyed or otherwise disposed of unless authorized by the State Archives through records retention and disposition schedules.

  1. Review your records and match them to the appropriate records retention schedules. Retention schedules indicate the length of time to maintain each record series. If you are unable to find a match, contact your records management officer (RMO). If a schedule item needs to be developed or updated, your RMO will work with Archives staff to implement the necessary changes. Your RMO can provide you with specific schedule items that apply to your office or position.
  2. Identify the appropriate disposition from the retention schedule. Dispose of any records that have met their retention period. Separate your records into the following categories:
    • Active records. Those records used frequently (at least once per month per file drawer for paper records). Transfer active records to your successor or RMO.
    • Inactive records. Those records accessed infrequently (for paper records, less than once per month per file drawer) but that are not yet ready for disposition. Transfer inactive records to your RMO to store in agency records storage or the State Records Center.
    • Archival or historical records. Those records that should be kept permanently because of their administrative, legal, fiscal, or research value. Transfer archival records no longer needed for your office’s work to your RMO for transfer to the State Archives.
  3. Box and label inactive and archival records. To facilitate access to records, be sure to label each box clearly and accurately and prepare a container list that lists every folder stored in the box. For more information on preparing container lists, refer to the Archives’ Guidelines for Developing Transfer/Container Lists.