Guidelines for Utilizing
GUIDELINES FOR UTILIZING RECORDS STORAGE FACILITIES
Delaware Public Archives (DPA) has many program services to assist state and local government agencies that have records maintenance and records storage problems. As the state's experts in the handling of records* generated by government, DPA's mission is to help, in any way it can, ensure that an agency's records and information handling activities are both effective and efficient. When an agency, for any reason, has need for additional records storage space, its records officer should contact the DPA Information Resources Specialist assigned to the agency.
DPA's Information Resources Specialists will ask the following questions in order to determine how best to meet an agency's storage requirements. Please have available as much information as possible to respond to these questions before calling them.
1. Are the records on your existing records retention schedule?
2. Have the records been audited, if required? If not, do you have any idea when they are scheduled for an audit?
3. Have the records met the retention period noted on the records retention schedule? How much longer do they have to be maintained if the retention period has not been met?
4. Are the records now considered to be non-current?**
5. Have the records been prepared for storage?
6. Do you maintain records in any facility other than the agency/office responsible for the creation and maintenance of such records?
7. Do you currently have records in any commercial off-site facility? If so, where?
8. Would the use of such storage free up usable office space in your present facility?
9. What is the quantity of records you are considering for storage?
10. What is the physical condition of the records? Where are they stored now?
11. How frequently will you need access to these records?
12. Are the records confidential?
13. Why are you considering off-site storage? Does a space/storage problem exist in your agency/office?
NOTE: Failure to comply with these procedures is a violation of 29 Del. Code, §505a which requires that "All public records of this State and the political subdivisions therof shall be kept in facilities maintained by the agencies and offices responsible for the creation and maintenance of such records, unless the consent of the Delaware Public Archives is obtained for their transfer or storage elsewhere."
* Record - means any document, book, photographic image, electronic data recording, paper, sound recording or other material regardless of physical form or characteristics, including electronic records created or maintained in electronic information systems, made, used, produced, composed, drafted or otherwise compiled or collected or received in connection with the transaction of public business or in any way related to public purposes by any officer or employee of this State or any political subdivision thereof (29 Del. Code, §502(1).
** Non-Current Record - those records that are required so infrequently in the conduct of current business that they can be transferred from offices to separate, low-cost storage areas without adversely affecting day-to-day operations.
Effective May 31, 1991
Revised September 15, 2003
