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Before You Begin
Before you begin the process of transferring your records to the Records Center, you need to make sure that the Records Center is the correct destination for them. The Records Center is for temporary storage. Temporary might mean 50 years, but eventually all records stored in the Records Center should be sent to the University Archives or destroyed. Most records with permanent value (archival records) can be transferred to the Archives as soon as they are no longer in active use. Archival records can also be stored in the Records Center until you choose to transfer them to the Archives. To determine if your records are permanent or not, consult the General Records Schedule or contact the Records Management Office.
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Set Up an Account
The first step in transferring records to the Records Center is setting up an account. To set up an account with the Records Management office go to the account setup and maintenance section of our forms page. Select the plan that is appropriate for your office, fill out the contract*, and fax it to the Records Management Office at (617) 495-8011. Once we receive your contract we can usually deliver supplies to you (empty boxes, labels, etc.) within a day or two. If you have any questions about our services, please contact us.
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Create Container List While Packing
Once you have an account set up and have received your supplies, you are ready to pack the records into boxes. For some helpful information on packing your boxes, check out our packing tips page.
While you are packing the boxes, keep track of what you're putting in. When the records are transferred, you will be required to provide a container list. For detailed instructions on creating the box list and folder list, check out our list instructions page.
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Submit Transmittal Forms
After packing the boxes and completing the two lists, you should complete a transmittal cover sheet. All blanks on the cover sheet should be filled. Note that in addition to checking one or both of the boxes indicating use of the General Records Schedule or a Special Records Schedule, schedule numbers for all records contained in the transfer should be listed. A brief description of the records might be the names of all series included. If you would like to see what a completed cover sheet looks like, take a look at our sample cover sheet (in .pdf format).
Our transmittal forms (cover sheet and container list) can be downloaded and your information can be entered directly into them. The cover sheet is a Microsoft Word 97 document and the box list is a Microsoft Excel 97 spreadsheet. Before e-mailing these documents to the Records Management Office, be sure that you have saved the files in Word or Excel 97 or an earlier version. If you need to use these documents in a different application, please contact the Records Management Office for a more friendly form. After completion, the cover sheet and container list should be e-mailed to the Records Management Office at rmo@hulmail.harvard.edu. An original signed copy of the face sheet should also be mailed to the Records Management Office.
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Schedule a Pickup
Upon receiving your transmittal, the Records Center Representative will contact you to schedule a pickup. Pickups usually can be scheduled within a couple of days. Unfortunately, the couriers cannot give a time for pickups, so someone from your office should be available for the entire day to meet the courier.
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Retrieving Records from the Records Center (Cambridge Area offices)
Obtain authorization to access the records of your office.
For security reasons, all persons requesting files and signing for receipt of a file must have previous authorization. A list of authorized personnel is created when an office first establishes an account with the Records Management Office. This list can then be updated at any time by written request of the head of the department.
Submit a retrieval order by 3:00 p.m. to ensure next-day delivery.
The Records Management Office must be notified (5-5961 or rmo@hulmail.harvard.edu) by 3:00 p.m. to ensure receipt of a Records Center item by the next business day. Retrieval orders submitted after 3:00 p.m. will be delivered on the second business day. Emergency retrievals requiring same-day delivery may also be arranged through the Records Management Office and will involve a surcharge.
Identify yourself and the material being retrieved.
You will need to identify yourself and the material being retrieved. Be prepared to give the following information:
- Your Name and Harvard ID Number
- Department and Password (the password is only necessary if the order is placed over the telephone)
- File Name (if applicable)
- Barcode Number
- Special Delivery Instructions (default delivery option is to the University Archives)
The Records Management Office will notify you when a retrieval item is ready for pick-up.
For customers in the Cambridge service area, records may either be delivered to the University Archives or to your office. When retrieval requests are delivered to the University Archives in Pusey Library, the Records Management Office will notify the requestor when the item(s) is ready to be picked up. An individual authorized to use your office's Records Management account should be sent to the reference desk to sign for and remove the item(s) requested. Boxes of material may be sent directly to your office if an authorized person is present to sign for the item(s). There is a surcharge for this service.
At the present time, Medical School customers receive free courier delivery service for retrievals of up to 30 standard records center boxes of material per week. There is also no charge for transfers to the Records Center of up to 30 cartons of new material per week. Normal delivery charges apply to customers at the School of Public Health and the School of Dental Medicine.
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Receiving Materials from the Records Center
Harvard offices that retrieve records for arrival at Pusey Library will be notified when their material arrives, which is usually before noon. An individual who is authorized to use the Records Management account should be sent to pick up the item(s). Non-authorized individuals may also pick up the item(s) if they bring a letter of authorization signed by an authorized person to the Archives reference desk. All persons picking up records at Pusey must present positive identification.
Materials that are to be delivered directly to an office generally arrive before 2:00 pm the next business day. When material is delivered directly to an office, it is accompanied by two statements:
The Retrieval Packing List
A packing slip accompanies every retrieval. The customer is responsible for checking information listed on the packing slip against the records being delivered and for verifying that the retrieval order is correct. The packing slip will list:
- Office name
- Shipping date
- Type of material shipped:
- Books (media type 1)
- Boxes (media type 2)
- Miscellaneous (media type 3)
- Barcode of item(s) retrieved
- Date item was requested
- Name of requestor
- Comments (optional)
The Media Transfer Manifest
The transfer manifest is a receipt of delivery. If the order is correct, both the courier and the individual receiving the order must sign the manifest. The courier will retain two copies for HD records. A third copy will be retained by the customer. If it is inconvenient due to timing and logistics to verify the order at the time of delivery, the customer must contact the Harvard Depository the same business day in order to resolve any discrepancy.
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Instructions for Returning or Refiling Records
Please help the Records Management Office protect the security of your records by returning them promptly:
The Records Management Office requests that you return records to this office within thirty days of their retrieval or have them permanently deleted from your Records Center inventory. Contact the Records Management Office (5-5961 or rmo@hulmail.harvard.edu) to arrange to have an item returned to the Records Center or to have an item deleted from your HD holdings.
When returning boxes directly from your office to the Records Center, you must inform the Records Management Office of the specific barcodes/files being returned.
Depository couriers will not accept refiles without prior notification. The Records Management Office tracks all items outstanding. This record must be updated before the Depository can refile your records.
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*In order to print out the contract, you must have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.
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