Guides: Records Management: What is Records Management?

Records Management 101

Records management is a system of policies and procedures that allows an organization to efficiently and effectively administer its records throughout their life cycle, from creation to disposition.

An effective records management program is very important for organizations for several reasons:

It protects essential records necessary for an organization's functions
It ensures the organization maintains compliance with relevant federal, state, and local records laws
It ensures critical files are organized and easy to retrieve
It ensures material no longer needed for operational or historical purposes is discarded in an appropriate and timely manner
It allows an organization to make the best use of its digital and physical storage spaces and ensures records are kept in appropriately secure locations
It helps an organization preserve its history and legacy

Records are any type of documentation created or received by an organization and its employees in the routine course of business. Every office, department, and employee generates records in one form or another.

Records can come in a variety of formats. The following examples are all types of records we have at Luther College:

PDFs of faculty meeting minutes or annual department reports
Programs for campus events such as commencement and Christmas at Luther
Videos made by the Communications Office
Photographs of campus events taken by Visual Media
Files related to successful grant-funded projects
Publications created by the College, such as the Alumni Magazine, Admissions brochures, or the Tuesday e-newsletter
Official email memos sent to employees by campus offices

Records go through a life cycle, beginning as active records and becoming inactive over time.

A record is active when it is being used regularly by an office for ongoing and routine work.
A record is inactive when it is no longer current and only occasionally consulted by an office for routine work. Most records become inactive about 7 years after creation.

Many inactive records need to be kept for a set period of time called a retention period. Once that retention period is reached, inactive records can either be disposed of or transferred to permanent storage. A retention schedule provides employees with information about how long records should be kept and how records should ultimately be handled.

At Luther College, the College Archives is the official home for records intended for permanent retention.

Everyone has a role to play in records management! All employees generate records, so everyone has a part in knowing and following policies and best practices related to managing them. Faculty and staff of Luther College are expected to have familiarity with policies and practices related to managing records and implementing them into their work. The College Archivist Librarian is available to assist employees in this effort.

Some individuals have specific records management-related responsibilities based on their position. These are outlined in more detail in this page.

Employee Records Management Responsibilities

As an employee of Luther College, it is your responsibility to:

Familiarize yourself with our policies and records retention schedule
Understand the records you and your office/department create and where they fit in the schedule
Maintain the records of you and your office in an organized and secure manner
Follow appropriate procedures for maintaining, transferring, and destroying records
Contact the College Archivist Librarian with questions