Clear Out Your Records: Policy and Planning Records Survey

1. Clear Out Your Records:Policy and Planning Records Survey Anne Thompson Deputy Records Manager

2. Objectives • To introduce clear out your records week and its aims • To explain what we would like you to do • To give some tips and guidance on how to approach clearing out large collections of paper and electronic records

3. Aims of the Clear Out • To dispose of records no longer required • To transfer relevant records to the University Archive • To integrate all other records into the departmental filing system At the end of the week all remaining records should be included in the old or new filing system

4. The Process • Identify records • Decide which of three actions to take for each group of records • Disposal, • Transfer to Archive, or • Integrate into the filing system • Along the way use some ‘short cuts’ to help

5. Identifying the records • Do not include: • Anything filed in the new system • Anything filed in the old paper system • Publication copies of records on web drives • Any working notes and papers • Any personal records you may hold at work • Reference material, e.g. magazines, journals, annual reports, etc.

6. Identifying the records (2) • Places to look for records: • Your office drawers, cupboards, cabinets and shelves (including the tops) • Under your desk • Your Section’s old shared folders • Your email folders • Collections of CD-ROMs and floppy disks • Any other storage areas away from your office

7. Disposal • When should I dispose of records? • Consult the retention schedule • How should I dispose of records? • Record quantities • Number of emails deleted • Total size of electronic documents deleted • Number of confidential waste sacks filled • Number of recycling waste sacks filled • Dispose of the records

8. Transfer to Archive • When should I transfer records to archive? • Consult the retention schedule • Consult the archive collection policy and selection criteria • How should I transfer records to archive? • Move electronic records to K:\AAPS\ArchiveTransfer • Put paper records on one side • Complete the records review sheet

9. Integrate into Filing System • When should I integrate records? • Records that should not be destroyed or transferred to archive • Paper records before 17 Nov 2005 > old system • Paper records after 17 Nov 2005 > new system • All electronic records > new system • How should I integrate records? • Old system, see the database • New system, see the current procedures • Sensitive records? Let us know

10. Clear Out Principles • Batch documents and folders • Avoid looking at individual documents • Never weed folders, always treat them as one unit • Be pragmatic

11. Tips: Electronic Documents and Emails • Look for ‘quick wins’ • Electronic documents • Use Windows Explorer, look for documents that are out of date, have been superseded, or have not been used for some time • Emails • Sort by date, addressee, subject and size • More than 50 emails and documents left? • Transfer them to K:\AAPS\LegacyRecords • Less than 50 emails and documents left? • Look at each individually to decide what to do with it

12. Tips: Paper Records • Look for ‘quick wins’ • Is there a pre-existing list of the documents? Can decisions be made on the basis of the list alone? • Sort the records into a logical order. Make decisions that you can along the way • Sample the records • Folder-by-folder review • Look at titles, earliest and last dates, external appearance, finally scan the file

13. Clear out your records week – 19-25 April Don’t be weighed down by unnecessary files – clear out your records!

14. Thank You Records Management Section recordsmanagement@ed.ac.uk www.recordsmanagement.ed.ac.uk