Since our software budget is always limited we have begun by implanting some user oriented solutions.  Yes, we provide training.  No, we don't rely on users to determine detailed categories for content.  The large volume of emails we receive that are not records can be disposed of almost immediately, and we train our users on what a "non-record" is.  Most of what is left as records is considered correspondence - a record type defined by the state (who sets our retention) and divided into two basic retentions based on position.  Department Directors and Division Managers correspondence have a three year retention and everyone else has a two year retention.  There are a small number of emails that take on the persona of another record type, and our folks are trained to recognize these few "other records."  The biggest problem is getting people to apply retention at all.  The excuses are never ending (no time, too complicated (?), I need the information, it's easier to search the inbox than to delete some, and so on) but the biggest objection we face is the fact that folks are afraid to get rid of anything in case they may need it - just like the paper records/documents world.  We have finally forced users to do something by limiting mailbox sizes which inflict a penalty once the mailbox goes over the limit - no emails can be read or sent until the size goes back down below the limit.

Ginny Jones 
(Virginia A. Jones, CRM, FAI) 
Records Manager 
Information Technology Division 
Newport News Dept. of Public Utilities 
Newport News, VA 
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