Before You Begin
Before you begin the process of transferring your records to the University Archives, you need to make sure that the Archives is the correct destination for them. If your records will eventually be destroyed or are not permanent records under the terms of the General Records Schedule or a Special Records Schedule, then they should be sent to the Records Center. The Records Center is for the temporary storage of records. Temporary might mean 50 years, but eventually all records stored in the Records Center will leave there. 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 a records analyst at the Records Management Office.
Obtain Supplies
To transfer records to the University Archives, contact the Records Management Office to obtain supplies (empty boxes, labels, etc.). Once you have received your supplies, you are ready to pack the records into boxes. For helpful information on packing your boxes, check out our packing tips page.
Create Container List While Packing
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. We ask that the list be submitted electronically, so please save a copy of the container list on your computer. For detailed instructions on creating the box list and folder list, check out our list instructions page.
Submit a Transmittal
After packing the boxes, you will 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. The brief description space can be whatever you decide is appropriate but might simply be the names of all series included in the transfer.
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 document and the container list is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Before e-mailing these documents to the Records Management Office, be sure that you save 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 face sheet and container list should be e-mailed to the Records Management Office at rmo-archives@hulmail.harvard.edu. An original signed copy of the face sheet should also be mailed to the Records Management Office or sent with the records.
Schedule a Pickup
Upon receiving your transmittal, the Records Management Office will schedule a pickup of the boxes. Pickups usually occur within the next three business days between the hours of 9-5. If you have any special pickup instructions be sure to let us know.
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Important Note
All records, prior to transfer or destruction, must be scheduled in accordance with the Harvard University General Records Schedule or through a special records schedule. Contact the Records Management Office if you have questions about scheduling.
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