PUBLIC LIBRARY
RECORDS DISPOSAL SCHEDULE
28-96
Municipal Government
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcrmu/rmurds/rdsmds.htm
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcrmu/rmurds/publiclibrary28-96.doc
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Secretary of the Commonwealth
William Francis Galvin
PUBLIC LIBRARY DEPARTMENTS RECORDS RETENTION SCHEDULE
Information and Procedures
1. The following is a list of standard records that can be
found in the custody of municipal public library departments.
This list includes records and forms currently mandated for
their use in carrying out specific statutory responsibilities.
2. This schedule is arranged alphabetically
by the title of the record series.
3. Each disposal schedule has a schedule number and
revision date in the upper right-hand corner.
The schedule number has two parts, the department number and the
schedule's year of origin.
4. Any records series title with an asterisk (*) may be destroyed
without the permission of the Supervisor of Public Records,
following the expiration of the specified retention period.
5. Each entry on the schedule includes:
record series title;
form identification, if applicable;
legal citation
(including statutory references to the Massachusetts General Laws);
minimum period for which the record must be maintained;
whether or not the record must be retained in hard copy format
e.g., if the record cannot be microfilmed and destroyed;
and the series number.
6. If the phrase "settlement of levy" is used in the disposition
section of the disposal schedule, it designates the closure of all
accounts for a particular levy though payment, abatement, or
taking of property for taxes.
7. Before submitting disposal requests to the Supervisor, be sure that
the records are not subject to any current or pending litigation or
public records request, and that the prescribed retention period
has fully expired for each record to be destroyed.
8. Records created prior to 1870 cannot be destroyed.
9. To destroy records included on this disposal schedule, the public
library director should submit to the Supervisor of Public Records
two copies of a letter substantially in the form suggested here,
indicating:
schedule number;
date of last schedule revision;
series number;
estimated volume;
inclusive dates for each series to be destroyed; and the
date of the last audit or settlement of levy, if applicable.
Where the disposal period refers "Completion of satisfactory audit
or final settlement of levy" After termination," include these or
other variable dates so that the eligibility for destruction of the
records in question may be checked.
The public library director should sign both copies of the letter.
One copy of this will be returned to the public library director
with the Supervisor's approval.
Following receipt of this approval, all records included in the
written request may be legally destroyed,
subject to any conditions specified thereon.
Any record may be retained beyond this time at the
discretion of the public library director.
Original records cannot be destroyed without the
written permission of the Supervisor of Public Records.
10. To destroy records that have been microfilmed and that are on the
disposal schedule, the public library director should submit to
the Supervisor of Public Records two copies of a letter
substantially in the form suggested here, indicating:
schedule number;
date of last schedule revision;
series number;
estimated volume;
inclusive dates for each series to be destroyed; and the
date of the last audit or settlement of levy, if applicable.
Where the disposal period refers to
"Completion of levy, if applicable.
Where the disposal period refers to
"Completion of satisfactory audit or final settlement of levy" or
"After termination,"
include these or other variable dates so that the eligibility for
destruction of the records in question may be checked.
The public library director should sign both copies of the letter.
One copy of this letter will be returned to the
public library director with the Supervisor's approval.
Following receipt of this approval, all records included in the
written request may be legally destroyed,
subject to any conditions specified thereon.
Any record may be retained beyond this time at the
discretion of the public library director.
11. To destroy records that are not included on this disposal
schedule, refer to the
Administration/Personnel (23/89) records disposal schedules.
This schedule includes records
held in common by various municipal offices.
To destroy a record that is not presently included on this
disposal schedule or the Administration/Personnel (23/89) disposal
schedule, submit a letter in duplicate to the
Supervisor of Public Records.
The letter should indicate:
schedule number;
date of last schedule revision;
series number;
estimated volume;
inclusive dates for each series to be destroyed; and the
date of the last audit or settlement of levy, if applicable.
If possible, attach a photocopy of the record.
12. If items subject to audit are dated with the current fiscal year
and have already been audited, they should be retained through the
end of the applicable fiscal year (June 30) or later,
as necessary.
If items subject to audit are dated with the current calendar year
and have already been audited, they should be retained through the
end of the applicable calendar year (Dec. 31) or later,
as necessary.
13. Disposal schedules apply to information,
not the media containing the information.
If records maintained on electronic media (for example, magnetic
tape disk or optical data storage systems) are printed out in an
eye-readable format (paper or microfilm),
the original electronic records may be immediately destroyed.
In this case a permission letter would not need to be sent to the
Supervisor of Public Records.
If the electronic record is the sole source of the information,
it must be treated in the same manner as its hard copy
counterparts for the purposes of disposal, and must be
maintained in accordance with the disposal schedule.
SAMPLE LETTER TO REQUEST PERMISSION TO DESTROY RECORDS
[Record Custodian's Letter head]
[Date]
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Supervisor of Public Records
Archives Division-Records Management Unit
Massachusetts Archives at Columbia Point
220 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston MA 02125
Dear Supervisor:
This is to request authorization to destroy the records listed on the
[list schedule name here e.g., Public Library] records disposal
schedule [list schedule number here e.g., 28/96]
revised [list date of last revision; this date is on the top right
corner of the records disposal schedule] as follows:
SERIES NUMBER INCLUSIVE DATES
6.1January 1, 1972 to June 30, 1975
6.4January 1, 1979 to June 30, 1981
Estimated volume: 2.5 cubic feet
The last audit of accounts of this office was
completed on [list date and year here e.g., Sept. 1, 1998].
I certify that to the best of my knowledge these records do not
pertain to any current public record request or to any current or
pending litigation to which this office is a party.
Very truly yours,
[Signature of legal Records Custodian]
APPROVED: _______________________________________
Supervisor of Public Records
28_96
Function Series name (* =perm not required for destruction)
Legal citation Disposition period
Hardcopy retention required Series number Date last revised
Circulation Records. Application for a Library Card*
c.78, s.7 After use.
No 28.1 1/1/96
Circulation Records. Bibliographic Database*
c.78, ss.7,8,9 After deaccession.
No 28.2 1/1/96
Circulation Records. Circulation Records*
c.78, s.7 After use.
No 28.3 1/1/96
Circulation Records. Complaint and Censorship Records*
After resolution.
No 28.4 1/1/96
Circulation Records. Fine Payment Request Form*
After use.
No 28.5 1/1/96
Circulation Records. Patron Information Database*
c.78, ss.7,8 After expiration of patron's borrowing privileges.
No 28.6 1/1/96
Director's Records. Annual Report to Library Commissioners
c.78, s.19B When superseded.
No 28.8 1/1/96
Director's Records. Annual Reports
c.78, s.12 Permanent (one mint copy).
Yes 28.7 1/1/96
Director's Records. Library Building Program Files
c.78, 19E 20 years.
No 28.9 1/1/96
Director's Records. Library Improvement Program Files
c.78, s.19 7 years.
No 28.10 1/1/96
Director's Records. Long Range Program Files
c.78, s. 19 When superseded.
No 28.11 1/1/96
Director's Records. Master Plan
c.78, ss. 19E, 19H Permanent.
No 28.12 1/1/96
Director's Records. Meeting Minutes
c.78, s.11; c.39, s.23B Permanent.
Yes 28.13 1/1/96
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcrmu/rmurds/rdsmds.htm
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcrmu/rmurds/publiclibrary28-96.doc
List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance
|
