As a records officer, you have probably heard about or used the State Records Center (Records Center) in Clearfield. Often the Records Center is mistaken for the State Archives and Records Service (Archives) building in downtown Salt Lake City. The Records Center is part of the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service, meaning it is managed by Archives staff, but the two locations have different roles in managing records. This post is the first in a three-part series to discuss the purpose of the Records Center, and how to utilize it.
The Records Center is a secure warehouse in Clearfield operated by the Archives in order to store your paper and microform records off-site. The Records Center has secure, stable conditions. This means that the building was built according to fire safety requirements, located away from flood plain areas, secured from water leaks and pest infestations, and equipped with an anti-intrusion alarm system.
When records are no longer actively referenced within your office (used less than once a month), they can be stored in the Records Center in order to free up expensive office space until total retention has been met. Your office may transfer records to the Records Center, but this type of transfer leaves the ownership of the records in your hands. The public cannot access the Records Center. All requests must be made through the agency holding custody of the record(s).
Disposition, meaning transfer to an archival repository or destruction, is managed by the Records Center staff. No records are destroyed without signed approval from your agency.
You are welcome to tour the facility if your office is trying to determine the best off-site storage for your records. The State Records Center staff can be reached at 801-525-3020.
You may transfer permanent records that have met retention directly to the Archives in Salt Lake City, and these records would then be owned by the Archives for permanent preservation. If you have records to transfer to the Archives, please contact your analyst.
Stay tuned for part 2- How to send records to the State Records Center!