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Chapter 5: Off-Site StorageOff-site storage for inactive records is available through the State Records Center (SRC). To access the services of the SRC, an office must have an approved records schedule (a Records Retention/Disposition Authorization, or RDA). See Chapter 3-Preparing the Records Schedule (RDA) for instructions on preparing a records schedule. The State Records Center is an inactive records storage facility operated by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and is available to all state agencies. After an approved RDA has been established, departments may transfer records to the Center for storage until their retention time expires. After the approved retention time has expired, the Center will carry out the recommended disposition; normally this is disposal or transfer to the University Archives for preservation. The Center is not an archival facility. In other words, they do not accept records for permanent preservation. SRC is a program revenue operation and does charge for its services. However, there is no direct cost to University departments. For the current fee schedule, contact the Records Officer. Preparing Records for Transfer to the
State Records Center Preparing Records for Transfer to the State Records CenterNOTE: There is a new procedure to transfer records to the State Records Center. Please reference Requirement 4 below. Requirements: 1. Refer to your office's applicable records retention schedule to determine retention periods and final disposition for each records series being prepared for transfer. If you do not have an approved records schedule, follow procedures outlined in Chapter 3 prior to preparing records for transfer. NOTE: The State Records Center will not accept transfers of records until a records schedule (RDA) has been prepared and approved. 2. Appoint an office staff member to organize and prepare the records for transfer. It is recommended that this person be the same as the designated records liaison. This helps to insure that all information regarding an office's records will be centrally located and managed. At minimum, this individual must be a permanent staff member and thoroughly familiar with the operation of your department, who will be available for questions should a problem arise. 3. Records must be packed in records center cartons and special SRC forms must be prepared prior to physical transfer of the records. The cartons are available through University Stores: stock number 3189. The records center carton will accommodate both letter and legal size files. If your records require the use of odd-size containers, contact the appropriate storage facility as soon as possible to discuss boxing and transfer arrangements. 4. NEW PROCEDURE (as of July 1, 2007): The State Records Center will no longer accept the "State Records Center Transmittal Order" form (form DOA-3062). All users of the State Records Center must use the online records inventory system to submit records to the State Records Center. More information on this change can be found at the "Using the State Records Center" web page. PLEASE NOTE: Before you, as a liaison, can begin submitting records to the State Records Center, you must be a registered user. The Records Management Services office can assist you in finding out if you are a user with the State Records Center. Please check with the Records Officer if you have questions. We will need your UDDS#, name, address, and department name in order for the State Records Center to process you as a user. 5. If your records are being transferred to the State Records Center and you not have previously used the Center, please contact the Records Officer prior to arranging for records transfer. Packing and Labeling the Box1. The records should be packed in the cartons in the same arrangement as they appeared in the file drawer; records must not be removed from their original file folders and/or jackets, nor should any portion of the records be discarded unless so stipulated by the governing records schedule. Note that letter- size folders fit in the cartons front to back and legal size fit side to side. NOTE: Diskettes should not be packed inside cartons with paper records. Separate handling of this medium is required for adequate preservation. If you have electronic media that you are transferring, please contact the Archives. 2. The records center carton has a label form printed on one end of the box, and each box must be clearly labeled as to office of origin, contents, and dates. It is strongly recommended that only one records series be placed in a box. If two records series must be placed in the same box, the box label must indicate that fact clearly. In addition, the two series must have the same retention period and the same final disposition. For example, if one series is designated for destruction after 5 years, the other series must also be designated for the same retention and disposition. The Archives and the State Records Center destroy records at the box level; it cannot discard individual items from within boxes. 3. All boxes of a given records series are to be numbered consecutively. 4. Boxes must NOT be over packed. Enough space should remain inside the box so that records can be retrieved and so the handles of the box may be used properly. Over-packing causes the boxes to split and collapse. When the records center cartons are packed properly, they are easy to handle and contents can easily be removed for reference. Offices should be mindful of health and safety regulations regarding weight. If the type of material to be transferred is of a nature that a full box could weigh 35 pounds or more, the boxes should not be packed full, and alternative containers may be advisable. Contact the Records Officer for assistance. Transfer ProceduresAfter the boxes have been packed and labeled, contact the State Records Center to make arrangements for the physical transfer of the records. The SRC staff will ask you for your agency and UDDS coding and any special instructions about the records. If boxes are to be transferred to the UW-Madison Archives rather than the State Records Center, please see "Transferring Records to the Archives." University of Wisconsin--Madison Records Management Manual. HTML Version created 5/96 |