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Frequently Asked Questions - Records Center |
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- Should I send my records to the Records Center or should I send them to the Archives?
- The simple answer is that permanent records should be transferred to the University Archives and non-permanent records (those that can eventually be destroyed) should be sent to the Records Center. However, permanent records that you are not yet ready to transfer to the Archives should also be sent to the Records Center. The Harvard University General Records Schedule (GRS) can frequently tell you which of your records are permanent and which are not. For records not covered by the GRS, the Records Management Office can help you determine their eventual disposition.
- Am I charged a monthly fee for boxes I have retrieved from the Records Center?
- You might be. You are paying for a location on a shelf in the Records Center, just as you would pay for a storage unit at a self-storage facility. Routine retrievals are considered to be temporary, so the space for your box is reserved and you will continue to be charged for it. In most cases, this does not matter, since most boxes are not kept out of the Records Center for more than a few days. If you decide to keep a box permanently or for an extended period of time, tell the Records Management Office that you want a permanent retrieval. When we notify the Depository (where the Records Center is located) that a box has been permanently retrieved, the Depository deletes the barcode from its database and you will no longer be charged for the space. If at some later date you decide to send the box back to the Records Center, it will be treated as a new pickup.
- What's the difference between the Records Center and the Archives?
- The Archives is the repository for permanent University records. The Records Center is for the temporary storage of records destined for either the Archives or destruction. Another important difference is responsibility. Records held in the Records Center are the responsibility of the office that created them and are owned by that office. The creating office pays for storage in the Records Center and is responsible for maintaining the records for the legally-required period. Records held in the Records Center may also be retrieved by the creating office at any time. Records transferred to the University Archives become the property and responsibility of the Archives. Except in rare cases, Archives records may not be removed.
- What is the difference between the Depository and the Records Center?
- For the purposes of the Records Management Office, there is no difference; we use the terms interchangeably. The actual difference is that the Records Center is what we call that part of the Depository that holds records sent there through the Records Management Office. Other entities, primarily the Harvard libraries, also send materials to the Depository.
- I have records in the Records Center that have reached their scheduled destruction date. Will these boxes be destroyed immediately?
- No. The Records Management Office will not approve the destruction of any records without the written approval of the creating office. Once a box has reached its destruction review date, the Records Management Office will notify you that you have records eligible for destruction. The list of records sent as part of this notification can be used as a destruction request merely by having the department head sign the form. These notices are sent out quarterly approximately one month prior to a scheduled destruction day. By gathering records eligible for destruction, the Records Management Office is able to provide a reduced rate for confidential destruction. Alternatively, if you wish to have records destroyed at other times, simply download our destruction request form, record the appropriate information for your records, have it signed by the head of your department, and return it to the Records Management Office.
- Can I feel secure that the records I send to the Records Center won't fall into the wrong hands?
- RMO will retrieve records from the Records Center only with the express authorization of an authorized agent of the custodial office. The authorized agent must be designated in writing by the head of the office. RMO will deliver retrieved records to an office's authorized representative only. When offices have their records delivered to Pusey Library, personnel picking up the records must be authorized users, or be designated in writing by the department head. Positive identification is required. No records will be sent through regular US or Harvard mail.
- If RMO retrieves a file for me, can't you just mail it to me?
- No. For security reasons, RMO will not send University records through either University mail or US mail.
- Is there any limitation on what I can send to the Records Center?
- Yes. Only records included on an approved records schedule may be sent to the Records Center. The Records Center is not a proper storage location for personal effects, office equipment or stores, or publication stock. Under no circumstances should you attempt to transfer biological, organic or chemically unstable materials to the Records Center.
- Have a question that's not here?
- Let us know at rmo@hulmail.harvard.edu. We're always looking for questions to add to the list.
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