Vital Records Management

1. Vital Records Management Fe Angela M. Verzosa

2. Vital Records Management • The objective is to prevent the loss of information which is critical to the continuing operation of an organization in the most efficient and economic manner possible. • In the public sector, vital records programs protect the public interest and ensure maintenance of individual rights. Fe Angela M. Verzosa

3. Potential risks due to loss of Vital Records • Vulnerability to litigation • Exposure to the unplanned expenses of financial settlements or loss of revenue • Disruption of efficiency due to gaps in information, and • Breaks in the continuity of operations Fe Angela M. Verzosa

4. VITAL RECORDS • records essential for continued operation • records with long retention periods • irreplaceable records • records where no other copies are available • records of historical/ permanent value Fe Angela M. Verzosa

5. Vital Records • Ownership Records (SEC corporation papers, By-Laws, Titles, Deeds, etc.) • Financial Records (bank records, books, journals, general ledgers, negotiable instruments, mortgages, audited financial statements, etc.) • Insurance Policy documents • Contracts and agreements • Minutes and annual reports Fe Angela M. Verzosa

6. Vital Records • Employee Records (201 files) • Personal records (birth/marriage/death certificates, etc) • Architectural plans (building permits, certificates, etc.) • Correspondence (valuable and significant) • Other media (photographs, microfilms, etc.) Fe Angela M. Verzosa

7. METHODS OF PROTECTION • Built-in dispersal • Duplication • Onsite storage • Off-site storage • Microfilming/microfiching • Digitization Fe Angela M. Verzosa

8. On-site Storage considerations • Building considerations – floor load capacity, lighting/ventilation, smoke/fire alarms, security, etc. • Equipment considerations – purchase of fire-resistant vaults, safes, cabinets… • Procedural considerations – preparing a vital records manual, updating vital records master list, enforcing rules in records storage area like no smoking, eating, etc. Fe Angela M. Verzosa

9. Off-site Storage considerations • should be close enough for access, control, and updating • reasonably secure • use of trained records professionals to administer the facility • hiring of a Vital Records Coordinator Fe Angela M. Verzosa

10. Best practices • Think “cool, dry, dark, and clean” • Preventive steps are invariably less expensive than remedial ones • Establish policies on care and handling of records • Use microfilms, if available, or duplicates in place of originals • Avoid doing anything to your records that cannot be undone Fe Angela M. Verzosa

11. Training and Outreach • regularly provide workshops and other training which outline basic program policies and procedures and office responsibilities • establish a system of records liaisons or coordinators within the major units of the institution to serve as basic contacts for the records management program • publicize, inform, educate the campus community thru campus newsletters, brochures on various records management topics, and electronic communication technologies (emails, library blogs) Fe Angela M. Verzosa

12. Questions? Contact verzosaf@dlsu.edu.ph Fe Angela M. Verzosa