David,

Your message doesn't indicate whether the records in question are permanent are not. Certainly, it would not be prudent to digitize records with a permanent retention and then toss the originals. Someday soon those digital records will be unreadable. If the records being digitized are needed for ten years or less, likely it is most cost-effective to store them in an inactive storage facility as opposed to digitization. Bottom line: digitization is a wonderful tool for enhancing access, but inappropriate for long-term preservation of the data; in the short-term, it is an expensive option compared to records center storage.

-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of David Singley
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 1:32 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Destruction of paper once scanned


List Members -
 
I am in a predicament here in Georgia.  A number of departments within my county are scanning documents AND maintaining the hardcopy - unfortunately my record center is the recipient of those hardcopy files.  I have some support for a policy that will designate the electronic version as the official record and mandate destruction of the hardcopy (or at least not allow it into the county record center).  Does anyone have any experience with something like this, particularly in a government environment?  
 
David Singley
Records Management Officer
Gwinnett County Government, GA
[log in to unmask]
770-822-7060
 

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