If you intend to use the Records Center to store your department's information, it is important to inform us of their arrival and to use the correct type of box.  The Paige Miracle sized boxes are easier for the staff to handle and since materials are stored and destroyed in this facility, these boxes play a role in helping to identify if the material has been sent to be destroyed or placed in storage.

 
When to Ship - What to Ship
Review 'em.  Records are not kept for any longer than is absolutely necessary for the performance of their required functions. Inactive records requiring retention for several years need to be transferred annually to the records center for storage and maintenance.  New guidelines to help in determining the length of time a record is to be retained can be found at www.usg.edu/usgweb/busserv.  If you have any questions regarding retention please check out our web page regarding retention schedules. 

Storage Box Requirements
Pack 'em.  In order for records to be properly stored on the shelves of the Record Center, boxes measuring 12W X 15L X 10H are required.  These can be ordered from Office Depot through Central Office Supply IF you already have an university affiliated Office Depot i.d.and password.  Office Depot item number 161488 is for a set of 12 boxes and item number 352016 is for a set of 4 boxes. (Copier boxes or the long Bankers boxes can be used for destruction materials.)  The boxes need to be neatly organized in their prospective categories as if they are in filing cabinets.  Please keep each subject matter filed together as appropriate.  For example, since supervising offices only have to keep personnel files for 3 years, put all the terminated files for the year 2007 in a box in alpha order and either store it in your office or if the files aren't used very often, send it to the Records Center until its time for them to be destroyed. Locating files is much easier if all personnel records are boxed separately in alpha order (or clearly divided in the box) from other subjects, such as budget information, instead of being all mixed in together. 

Keeping Track of What You Have Sent
Label 'em.  Click here for Box Label examples:

When You are Ready to Ship
Call 'em.  Once the information is boxed and labeled correctly, inform Records Management (706-369-5927) of the number of boxes that is being sent and the retention standard that is being followed.  Contact with the Records Center can be made by telephone or through the use of the Box Transfer Storage Form.  (If your department decides to use the form, you will be contacted by email.)  Records Management will assign the set of boxes a control number.  This control number needs to be written on the outside of each box. 

Ship 'em.  Physical Plant (706-542-7456) will ask for the control number if and when they are requested to pickup a set of boxes that are to be delivered to the Records Center.  If your department chooses to self-deliver, please notify the records center before delivery.  Failure to notify the record center prior to sending or delivering the boxes could result in the records being unaccepted by the Records Center.