This has been an interesting discussion, and I think all the answers are
reasonable.  I agree that anywhere from 90 to probably 3500 sheets of
paper will fit in a 10x12x15 records storage box, depending on the
circumstances of the files.  But the question nobody has asked is, WHO
CARES?  Why would any records manager care about *pieces of paper* as a
unit of measurement?

In my experience in RIM, I've never worked with *pieces of paper* as a
focus of my attention.  I have worked with file folders, file cabinet
drawers, linear feet (and inches), records series, records center boxes,
accessions, and image counts as valid units of measurement and objects
of attention.  But to me, the only possible reason I can think of to
care how many *pieces of paper* are in a box is if I'm tossing that
heavy sucker up a ladder to someone to store on the 14th shelf!  And
that's a fleeting consideration at best.

What industry is it where RIM professionals manage at the *piece of
paper* level?

Greg Schildmeyer, CRM
Director of Records Management
State of Missouri


-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Scott, Paul (FPM)
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2005 7:56 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Quick question...

I'll take Doug's remark as an invitation to jump back into the seminar.

At the risk of bringing Steve in Reno into this debate, the responses
are very "Clintonesque," it all depends upon what the definition of the
word "fit" is.  (And yes, Steve, we all know that you hate paper.)

From my experience, most letter/legal size records center boxes probably
do contain 1,500-2,000 sheets of paper.  And yet a month ago I destroyed
several hundred boxes of computer print-outs from the Auditor that were
as densely packed as though they were new reams from the paper mill.
From the weight of these boxes, I would not be surprised if they didn't
contain well over 3,000. Yesterday, however, I went through a series of
90 boxes that probably averaged fewer than 500 sheets because there were
a lot of unique documents, folders, and folders.

Further complicating the question, a lot of Harris County documents are
not on letter-size papers.  I have boxes of traffic ticket books and
receipts that probably run 10,000 sheets of paper per box.

So the bottom line of all this is that we have given Susan freedom of
choice and she can choose the one that she prefers.  (But I hope it's
mine rather than Doug's.)

Now let's see if I've goaded Steve into joining the conversation.

Paul R. Scott, CA, CRM
Records Management Officer
Harris County, TX

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