Are you out of space? I know I am. Every year at this time, I’m always amazed by how much ‘stuff’ I’ve managed to accumulate, collect, amass, gather, acquire, hoard – or any other verbal synonym you can think of – over the course of the past year! On the one hand, this is the nature of archives. They grow – and that’s a good thing. On the other hand, there is a rule of thumb that true archival material makes up no more than 5 to 10 % of generated documentation – whether electronic or paper. So how do I (or you) go from that giant pile of files, boxes and e-mails that somehow arrived when I wasn’t looking – probably during the holidays – to that ideal little 5% pile of permanent records that I might actually have room for? Ah ha! This is where archival and records management training, knowledge of the appraisal process – and a certain amount of ruthlessness – comes in!
While you don’t have to be a professional archivist or records manager to wade through this process – a little training, a lot of common sense and a willingness to let go – helps. And January is the perfect time to perform this task. Everyone likes to start the New Year with a clean slate, a clean desk and a clean garage – so why not set some time aside this month to dig yourself out from under those piles of files, memos, letters, e-mails, reports, etc. that have built up around your office, in your in-box or around your feet and determine just which ones are worthy of a permanent place in your archives. And, yes, you can do this at home too! The process is the same.
Now for a little “Archives speak”: Appraisal is the selection of records of enduring value. These records are defined as those with continuing usefulness or significance based on the administrative, legal, fiscal, evidential, or historical information they contain, justifying their preservation.
When appraising records, consider the following questions (1):
- Are there legal requirements or advantages for retaining the record? If you have a retention schedule – and if you’re in the Episcopal Church you do – refer to the schedules and follow them. If a record is not covered in the retention schedules, continue on to the next question.
- Who made the record and for what purpose?
- What is its significance, and how does it document a person, place or thing?
- Who are the potential users?
- What is the cost of preserving the record versus the benefit of retaining the information?
Also take into account (2):
- The uniqueness of the record itself.
- The form of the record (paper, electronic or both and which is preferred for preservation).
- The uniqueness of the information contained in the record.
- Availability or scarcity of documentation on the particular subject.
- Ways the record will be useful.
In other words, define your reason for keeping the records permanently. Whether in the archives, in the office or at home, if you consider these questions and these characteristics, you can bring those ‘piles of stuff’ down to a manageable size, you can dispose of records that do not fit the criteria, and you will, hopefully, no longer be “out of space.”
For help with this process, contact me. I’m here to help.
Diane Wells
Archivist and Records Manager
dwells@ecww.org or 206-325-4200 ext. 2023
1 Richard Pierce-Moses, A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology.
2 Christina Zamon, The Lone Arranger: Succeeding in a Small Repository.
