I think the issues I see is are a people problem and an electronic vs. paper and the official copy question. We scanned all our minute books and sent them offsite. We have kept the hard copy. Why? Because I would end up with dueling pistols at dawn if I tried to destroy the original copies. It's not worth that much trouble considering the minimal volume of corporate minutes compared to other records types. Jennie, it may not be worth the trouble of destroying the hard copy for you as well. Sometimes records management is a game picking your battles.

The viability of the electronic copy for long-term access is a very valid point. Older corporate minutes often had very important records covering property rights, agreements, sales, and obligations. From previous experience in another company, I had to pull an agreement from 1889 to see what was what, who was involved, when, where, why, and how. That document from 1889 turned out to be the active record much to the surprise of everyone. It was an agreement made by a predecessor company with a city. Even though the companies might be defunct, the minutes might cover assets and agreements that might not have any other supporting records available especially covering property that might be remotely located or out of use. I have been down that road as well. It's a bumpy ride even if you have the corporate records.

Rob Seibolt, CRM
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Records and Library Services
http://www.mriglobal.org



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