Appraising Your Records

Records Management can help you determine which records in your area can be sent to the Federal Records Center in San Bruno, transferred to the Archives and History Office, or disposed of according to established records disposition schedules.  As a practical matter, it is suggested that offices transfer to storage needed, but seldom used records on a regular basis, usually annually, for most business or administrative records.  Records Management will come to your office or area to assist with a records appraisal.

• Temporary or Archival Records?

Records Management is responsible for those records that are created in the course of doing SLAC’s business, but do not necessarily contain information of lasting historical or scientific value.  Examples of these temporary records usually include business and financial records, most legal records, human resource records, or departmental administrative records.  Archival records are those records that may have lasting scientific or historical value, should be preserved indefinitely, and are processed by the Archives and History Office.  Records Management and the Archives and History Office work together to help departments determine the nature of the records in their area.

• “Record” or “Non-record”?

Not all documents or materials are considered “records”  and may be discarded at your discretion.  Examples of “non-record” material include copies of  SLAC scientific publications, DOE publications and reports, or the office copy of purchase requisitions, work orders, and timesheets.  Please reference the Archives and History website for an expanded explanation of “records” terminology.

Last Revised: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 09:50 AM