Sustaining Your Records Management Program

You’ve laid the foundation of your program. Now take it a few steps further.

Consider storing Inactive Records at the State Records Center

Are infrequently used, or inactive, records that can’t be disposed of quite yet cluttering office space? The State Records Center – located in the Harriman State Office Campus – provides secure, low cost storage for inactive records. Tours of the facility are available for both prospective and current customers. If your agency already uses the State Records Center, staff can provide a list of records currently stored at the facility and their scheduled disposition dates.

For more information, visit the State Records Center page.

Coordinate Records Disposition

Disposition includes both destruction of records and transfer of historical records to the State Archives. You’ll want to sign off on and track any records disposition to ensure it is regularly and legally done. Take advantage of our free confidential wastepaper contract.

Information about preparing records for transfer to the Archives can be found in Procedures for Transferring Archival Records to the New York State Archives and Guidelines for Developing Transfer/Container Lists.

Promote the Records Management Program to Agency Leaders and Staff

Talk up the benefits of good records management including storage cost savings, efficient records retrievals, and lower legal liabilities. Incorporate records management into new staff orientation. Provide regular reports to leaders of your activities. A successful records management program requires assistance and support from everyone in your agency.

Provide Training and Guidance to Agency Staff Regarding their Records Management Obligations

Although you are the designated records management point person within the agency, all staff are responsible for records management to some degree. You provide both formal and informal training to your colleagues and create guidance documents, retention schedule lists, and other resources to help staff make good decisions regarding the records in their care.

Prepare for and Respond to Records Disasters

Avoid use of basements and attics for records storage if possible. Regularly check areas where records are stored for damage. Develop a disaster plan.

If disaster happens, contact us and check out our disaster resources for disaster recovery, including salvaging records or requesting early destruction of records.

Identify and Address Records Management Challenges

Are staff having trouble finding the documents that they need to do their jobs? Does your office have more records than space to store them? Are your colleagues holding onto records for longer than is required… or throwing them out too soon? Do the procedures that work in Central Office not work equally well in the regional offices? State Archives staff are available to help you find solutions to your records management problems.