Government records may be stored at the State Records Center in Clearfield when they are no longer actively referenced within your office (used less than once a month). This allows your agency to maintain ownership while using free off-site storage. Once you’ve completed a Records Transfer Sheet (RTS) online, you can coordinate with the Record Center staff to deliver your records.
Here are a few guidelines and pointers. First of all, verify that the record series have been scheduled and assigned a series number by the State Archives. If there is no series number assigned, work with your analyst to obtain one. If you send records to the State Records Center without a series number, they will be sent back to you. If the records are past retention, do not send them to the State Records Center to be destroyed.
Once the records are scheduled and you have received a series number, you are ready to box your records. The boxes must meet the specifications required by the State Archives. You can order boxes from Office Depot. Call 1-888-263-3423 and provide your Office Depot Customer Number. If you don’t have one, you will be invited to establish one. Office Depot must have your account open before they can view the box item number (285052) in their system. If you have any trouble ordering the boxes, call 801-736-7377.
The Record Center staff has provided a few do’s and don’ts for packing boxes:
- DO pack records using the same arrangement you use in your office. You do not need to create a new filing system to send records to the State Records Center.
- DO replace hanging file folders, and binders with labeled manila folders.
- DO remove rubber bands.
- DO tape boxes if you are using State Mail. If you are not using State Mail, it is not required.
- DO keep an inventory of each box’s contents. A copy of this inventory should remain with the records officer and a copy should be kept in the box.
- DO label boxes with a large black pen and include the following information directly on the box in the proper field: Agency name, agency-assigned box number, and record series number.
- DO contact the Records Center at 801-525-3020 to make special arrangements for oversize materials like maps.
- DO notify the Archives if you send cassette tapes,VHS, CDs, flash drives, or other non-paper media to the Records Center for storage by indicating so on the Record Transfer Sheet:
- DON’T over-pack the boxes. There should be about two inches of space in the box. Your hand should be able to easily use the handles on the side and easily fit in the box to retrieve folders. If you scratch your hand, the Record Center staff will too when retrieving, shelving and filing the box.
- DON’T send cassette tapes/VHS or CDs to the Records Center for storage.
- DON’T put records belonging to more than one record series in the box.
- DON’T reuse old boxes that have already been written on.
Once boxes are prepared, fill out the online Records Transfer Sheet (RTS). Make sure you indicate on the transfer sheet if anything in the box is not paper. After you have submitted the RTS, the Records Center will email and let you know when you may send the records. If State Mail (801-323-4300) is available, you may send up to 6 boxes without prior arrangement. Upon delivery, Records Center staff will verify that all boxes match the Records Transfer Sheet. They will send a Box Accession Report to whomever submitted the original RTS. As a note, if the record officer is not the person submitting the RTS, they will not receive the Accession Report, which they may need to have, so make sure you are keeping the record officer in the loop.
Stay tuned for part 3- How to retrieve records from the State Records Center!