Larry said:  "If you DO have a records retention schedule and a records 
management policy
in place that you follow for other records, to establish an independent 
one
for e-mail would result in an inconsistent manner of managing your records
overall".

Thanks Larry for your response.  Perhaps I should have elaborated more.

We have a new EDRMS.  As with many organizations, we are struggling with 
the management of our e-mail system.  At one time, we had a maximum e-mail 
box size of 100 mb.  It has grown and our IT folks have done little to 
help where the average box size is now 143 mb.  One of our users has 1.3 
gig.  No doubt, these boxes are large due to e-mail mismanagement (keep 
everything, we are not regulated), plus large file attachment size.  There 
has been little management of this from our IT group apart from notes 
every so often asking staff to delete their e-mails. So, I have stepped in 
with some solutions 

Ideally we want these attachments and e-mails in our EDRMS.  In the past, 
some staff stored these attachments in folders on a network drive in an 
effort to keep their quota size down.   To force use of the EDRMS, we want 
to limit the quota size of the mail boxes.  Storing in our EDRMS means 
that staff are storing by content and in an EDRMS, retention kicks in as 
well.  Perfect solution from my standpoint.  We are just in the midst of 
writing policy and procedures.

Staff will always go the easy route.  By reducing the quota size, we are 
forcing staff to use the EDRMS or risk the chance of loosing their 
e-mail's.  The tools are in place, it is simply a matter of getting staff 
comfortable with them and using them.

John Annunziello
Manager, Records and Information 
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
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"Information is a corporate, strategic asset that needs to be managed"

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