Record Storage and Transfer Guidelines

Transferring Hard-Copy Records to Archives or the Federal Records Center

1. Before weeding your files: If you do not yet have a records schedule for your office's technical records, contact the Archives (x3091). If you want to make a routine transfer of administrative (non-technical) records in accordance with an established records schedule, contact Records Management (x2211), and complete a Standard Form 135 Records Transmittal and Receipt form according to instructions from Records Management.
2. When transferring from drawer to box, be careful to retain the original file order. The Archives recommends that records be stored in standard records storage cartons (1 cubic foot) and not in the larger, two cubic foot bank "transfiles." The latter are difficult to carry and do not stack well. Standard archival records storage boxes are available from the Archives.
   At this time the files should be removed from hanging folders and identifying information from the hanging folder tabs transferred to upturned sheets of bond paper. Do not send hanging files to storage, as they almost double the space used by the files.
   Also: remove any files/documents stored in three-ring binders, and place the documents in file folders. (Three-ring binders do not fit into standard records storage cartons, AND they unnecessarily increase the volume of the records by at least one-third.)
3. Boxes should be labeled, giving the office of origin, the record series, and inclusive dates. (e.g. Associate Director, Research Division : Subject files, 1965-1975.) If more than one box is transferred, the boxes should be numbered consecutively reflecting the file's original alphabetical or numerical order.
4. A folder listing of the contents of each box should be made before transferral. An electronic template for folder listings can be obtained from the Archives and History Office. Place a copy of each box's listing in the top of the corresponding box, and retain one copy of the list for your future reference.
5. When the boxes are ready, e-mail a copy of the completed listing to the AHO, and let us know the current location of the boxes. We will make arrangements with Labor Pool for pickup from your location and delivery to the AHO Storage Area.
6. On receiving the records, the Archives Office will enter a record into the SLACARC database (a standardized, staff-accessible database) when assigning it a unique accession number. The file is easily searchable by group, names, and other index terms. If you need information or assistance in using SLACARC, please contact the Archives.
7. Records will be stored in the SLAC Archives storage facility or with the AHO off-site storage contractor (if they are of continued use for laboratory or scholarly purposes) or temporarily housed in the Federal Records Center, San Bruno if so required by DOE records schedules.

Assembly instructions for Federal Records Center boxes

Transferring Electronic/Digital Records to Archives or the Federal Records Center

• The format of a record does not affect its appraisal and retention
• Electronic / digital records created at SLAC must be scheduled and retained appropriately
• See Electronic Records Archiving @ SLAC for further information

Access to Records in Storage

1. Archival records are housed in a secured area in the Central Lab Annex or with our archival storage contractor. If you need access to boxes or have a specific folder you would like to retrieve, contact the Archives (x3091) directly. You will need to provide the accession number (from SLACARC), box label information, and file folder name, if known. Since some records are stored off-site, we advise that you give us at least 24 hours notice.
2. Records housed at the Federal Records Center in San Bruno also can be accessed by authorized staff. For instruction on how to access files at the Center and for driving directions (a 30-minute drive on Highway 280), please call Records Management (x2211).

Temporary Relocation of Current Files

• are housed for the required period,
• that they are accessible and manageable according to SLAC and DOE records management procedures, and
• that records of permanent value will not be lost.

1. Inform the Archives of the action to be taken, including the specific location.
2. The temporary site should be secure, clean and dry, not subject to high temperature or excessive fluctuation of temperature.
3. Be sure that boxes are clearly labeled, and that boxes are stored with labels showing.
4. The office of origin must create a contents list of the records.
5. The office of origin shall have full responsibility for maintaining the records and providing access to the records until a final transfer to the Archives or the Federal Records Center is made.

Capturing Departing Employee’s Federal Records

A DOECAST dated January 9, 2001, “Annual Information Update on Disposition of Federal Records”, defined Federal Records and discussed retention of these records. This is especially critical as the time of the inauguration of the President and turnover of the political positions occurs. Each Program Office Records Liaison Officer (RLO) and site Records Management Program Officer (RMPO) are responsible to take the actions necessary to ensure that the records of the departing managers and staff are captured and managed as records.

All electronic and e-mail records of these departing employees must be collected along with their paper files. These records should be collected and retained in electronic formats, if possible. A partnership between the RLO/RMPO, information technology staff, and the departing employee’s secretary will ensure that federal records are retained and made available to the incoming administration and posterity.

Capture and storage of these records may be accomplished using one of the following options (in order of preference). The actual method chosen depends on the computer hardware and software configurations at your location:

• Filed in an electronic records repository,
• Stored on the Departmental/Division LAN in a separate directory,
• Copied to portable media (CDs or Diskette),
• Hard drives be removed from the computers prior to making the equipment available to another employee,
• Printed and filed as paper records.

The software necessary to read these records must also be retained if it is not a commonly available program at your site.

The RLO or RMPO must review these records to remove duplicates and files that are not records from the collection. It is not necessary to retain both a paper copy of a record as well as an electronic copy as long as the file creation date, and distribution information is available on the paper copy.

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