Transferring Records

Transferring Records From The Records Center

When to Transfer Records From the Office:
Records are moved from the office to the Records Center when they are no longer needed on a day-to-day basis. The department will want to set up a system of transferring that will become an automatic procedure to be followed every year.

The Annual Cut-Off Method:
The simplest and most common method is to break-off the files yearly, either on a calendar year, fiscal year, or some other basis. Most financial records are divided according to the budget year. Some offices and departments break many of their files by the school year. The choice is made by the department and should reflect their needs.

The Active-to-Inactive Method: 
The other method is to break the files when they become closed or inactive. This is a useful technique for project files, personnel files or similar records which are active for an indefinite period, often lasting longer than one year. By this technique, you keep each file in an "active file" until it becomes inactive or until the occurrence of a particular event. Then, place it into a "closed" or "inactive file." Next, break the inactive file into annual blocks by the annual cut-off method described above.

Transferring Records to The Center

Once it has been decided when records are to be transferred, there are some important procedures that should be observed. They are:

Obtaining Boxes:
The standard box for record storage is called a "records center box". It is ten inches high, 12 inches wide and 15 inches long. These boxes are obtained from Records Management. The department may request the number of boxes they need. Boxes are supplied at no charge to the department by the records center. Boxes are not delivered and must be picked up by the requesting department.

Packing the Boxes:
The dimensions of a standard records center box are such that letter size file folders will stand upright in one direction and legal size folders will stand upright in the other. A box full of records, therefore, is like a small file drawer with the files standing upright for easy reference.

In order to facilitate retrieval, it is important that the files be put into the boxes in the same order as they were in the file cabinets. It is usually best for the staff member of the office that is transferring the records to pack the boxes and prepare the "Records Center Control Card." This person knows the records best and how they should be arranged to make it easy to later retrieve specific items when they are needed. Only Standard Records Center storage boxes will be accepted for storage. Use strapping tape to tape the bottom of boxes. If you do not have strapping tape, fold the bottom of the box and the Records Center will tape the box for you. Do not tape the top of the box.Do not overfill or underfill boxes. (No box should weigh over 40 pounds.) If you have a box where folders will not stand up straight, pack the back of the box with loosely crumpled acid free paper where folders will stand up and not lie down in the box.

Prepare the Records Center Control Card:
The Records Center Control Card should include all of the following information:
  • Date -
    		• Date you send the boxes to the Records
  • Box No. -
    		•  Leave blank; Records Center fillsthis out
  • Location No. -
    		• Leave blank; Records Center fills this out
  • Originating Division & Department -
    		• Include name of department, name of person responsible for the records,
    phone number and post office box number
  • From -
    		• Date of oldest record
  • To -
    		• Date of latest record
  • Name of Record -
    		• Description of records (should be brief but include enough information to identify the records in the box) If additional space is needed to list records, please attach a typed listing on a separate page.
  • Total Retention Period in Years -
    		• length of time records should be held in Records Management (if not known contact Records Management)
  • Sequence -
    		• Leave blank
  • Type and Number of Container -
    		• Leave blank
  • Other Dispsition -
    		• Leave blank

    Place the Records Control Card (all three copies) in the box. Each box must have a records control card. The department should keep a photocopy of the Records Center Control Card until the Records Center returns the original with assigned box and location numbers.

    Deliver Boxes to the Records Center:
    The originating department is responsible for delivering the boxes to the Records Center. Equipment Transport will pick the boxes up from the department and deliver them but it is the responsibility of the department to contact them.

    When the boxes are processed and box and location numbers assigned, the original (white) copy of the Records Control Card will be returned to the department. Keep this copy for department records and to use to identify records for retrieval.