Schedules for Archiving Records
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has announced the release of a new set of Records Scheduling Guides, scheduled for March 2024. These guides aim to simplify the management of government records for various functional areas, including Permanent Records, Public Affairs, Legal Records, Legislative Records, Personal Data, Research & Development, Environmental Health & Safety, and Records with Intrinsic Value.
The Records Scheduling Guides provide a comprehensive list of records commonly associated with each function, offering considerations for scheduling and appraising records. Each guide includes a description of the function it covers, as well as a list of records already scheduled in General Records Schedules.
While the exact appraisal criteria for each individual guide are not detailed in the search results, the appraisal process follows a function-based approach, focusing on the value and need of records. This approach involves understanding the functions and activities that create records to determine their permanent or temporary administrative value, prioritizing appraisal based on the greatest need, analyzing records inventory, and using appraisal criteria that consider the records’ administrative, legal, fiscal, and historical value.
When proposing the disposition of records, it is essential to consult NARA's appraisal criteria. Common appraisal criteria include legal and regulatory requirements, business needs, historical value, and administrative value. For authoritative and precise criteria per guide, consulting the specific NARA Records Scheduling Guides or official NARA scheduling documentation is recommended.
It is important to note that the value of these common records can differ from one agency to another. The new Records Scheduling Guides are designed for agency records managers and NARA appraisal archivists, providing tailored advice on common government records.
In addition to the guides scheduled for release in March 2024, Guide 8 for Records with Intrinsic Value is scheduled for release in September 2024, with an update in July 2025. The Records Scheduling Guide for Scheduling Common Permanent Records and the Records Scheduling Guide for Scheduling Environmental Health & Safety Records will also be released in March 2024.
The Records Scheduling Guide for Public Affairs Records was released in October 2016, and the Records Scheduling Guide for Scheduling Legal Records, Legislative Records, Personal Data, Research & Development Records, and Records with Intrinsic Value will follow in March 2024.
Using these guides is optional, but they offer valuable advice on common government records, helping agencies ensure compliance with records management best practices and preserving important historical records for future generations.
- The Records Scheduling Guides are valuable resources for the health-and-wellness of government records management, providing a comprehensive list of records for various functional areas such as Science, Medical-conditions, and Education-and-self-development.
- The business value of these Records Scheduling Guides extends to the finance and industry sector, as they offer considerations for scheduling and appraising records, essential for ensuring compliance with records management best practices.
- The technology sector can also benefit from these guides, as the appraisal process follows a function-based approach, focusing on the value and need of records, similar to the approach used in the field of technology.
- Furthermore, these guides can be useful for individuals involved in health-and-wellness, education-and-self-development, and research, as they provide tailored advice on common government records, much like resources in the medical-conditions or research & development industry.
