I'm a bit astonished to see such a practice at the ACLU. I understand the frequent "preference" for such "confidentiality" on the part of executives, and believe that such practices are not uncommon in the private sector, not-for-profits, and public sector entities. I am aware of instances where elected officials shredded documents upon leaving office (a misdemeanor, but one that is not often enforced). I admire the actions taken by the ACLU Records Manager, believe that they are commendable, and hope that Records and Information Managers everywhere will take a cue here from the actions of the Records Manager / Archivist at the ACLU. Doug Allen, CRM, CDIA+ -----Original Message----- From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jim Connelly Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 8:26 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Shredding An article in the Sunday Times seems to warrant some attention. I have excerpted some key paragraphs. Concerns at A.C.L.U. Over Document Shredding http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/national/05aclu.html?ei=5065&en=6ae08e08ba 5358 7f&ex=1118548800&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print This link appears to be working as of this AM. The ACLU appears to have a problem in that shredders have appeared in apparent contradiction with established practices. The ACLU has an archives/RM program ... policies in place and yet legal risk problems have been placed on the back burner for the sake of convenience. . The question is "as a records manager what would you do ... what would you have done" My feeling is that managers should have discretion in destroying documents ... copies, unneeded drafts etc. and that listing of everything that hits the shredder might just be overkill in this instance. (It wouldn't be high on my daily priority list.) Would not posting of what is in fact transitory above the shredders be sufficient? Should we not trust staff at some point. If volumes of shredding are tracked by the RM staff ... should that not point out sudden leaps in shredding in volume or sudden bouts of hoarding documents ... both of which could be investigated by RM staff. Comments anyone?... other than the irony of this concern being raised at the ACLU. Regards Jim Jim Connelly St. Albert, Alberta [log in to unmask] 1-780-460-7089 Sunday New York Times June 5, 2005 Concerns at A.C.L.U. Over Document Shredding By STEPHANIE STROM The American Civil Liberties Union has been shredding some documents over the repeated objections of its records manager and in conflict with its longstanding policies on the preservation and disposal of records. ... Janet Linde, who oversaw the A.C.L.U.'s archives for over a decade until she resigned last month, raised concerns in e-mail messages and memorandums for over two years that officials' use of shredders in their offices made a mockery of the organization's policy to supervise document destruction and created potential legal risks. ... The A.C.L.U. allows for document shredding but has policies for recording what is destroyed that predate recent changes in the law, and it has historically placed great emphasis on preserving records. Its policy lists specific types of documents - including duplicate records and outside publications - that can be destroyed without creating a record. For other materials, employees are instructed to contact the archives. ... Under the A.C.L.U.'s policy, employees deposit documents, disks and other files slated for destruction in locked bins in their departments. They are required to complete and sign a form next to the box, describing what they have deposited. A contractor collects the bins each month and shreds the contents under the watch of an A.C.L.U. records manager, who then countersigns the sheets to confirm the destruction. ... So when Anthony D. Romero, the executive director of the organization, casually mentioned to a group of employees in 2002, about a year after his arrival, that he had a shredder in his office, they were shocked, ... Mr. Romero was told it was a violation of policy, the former employees said, but no one pushed the issue. ... The organization hired Richard M. Smith, an Internet and computer security expert, to examine its practices and offer suggestions for improvement. Among other things, he recommended that shredders be installed in every department to make document disposal more convenient. In a July 2002 e-mail message to Barry Steinhardt, an A.C.L.U. lawyer who specializes in matters of privacy, Ms. Linde objected to that recommendation, saying that Mr. Smith seemed unaware of the organization's document retention policy. She noted that she had asked to sit in on his audit but had been excluded. Employees began noticing shredders next to copiers throughout the organization in early 2003, according to e-mails. ... Ms. Linde wrote a memorandum voicing her concerns, so the A.C.L.U. sought advice from the law firm that handles its real estate matters in Washington, D.C. The firm forwarded a report that echoed many of Ms. Linde's points, and several shredders were removed, according to memorandums. Mr. Romero kept his shredder, as did Alma Montclair, the director of administration and finance, according to those memorandums. Later, records managers noted that the accounting and human resources departments had shredders, and, more recently, that Donna McKay, the A.C.L.U.'s director of development, had one, too. To track what was being destroyed on those machines, the records managers attempted to impose a system similar to the one used for the locked bins, putting document destruction sheets next to all the shredders except Mr. Romero's about a year ago. Employees in the departments with the shredders signed the sheets, according to a memorandum, but rarely noted what they were shredding. ... List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance