IARA County/Local Records Management - Disposition

Good morning County/Local Agencies,

While IARA records analysts try to write as plainly as possible, some of the language used on retention schedules may still be a bit obscure. Other words are familiar enough, but may be put together in a way that doesn’t immediately make sense if you're not used to records management.

Disposition is one of those words used in the records management field that many people may not be familiar with.

DISPOSITION
What happens to the records, including any changes of format. Disposition isn't synonymous with "destruction." Rather, destruction is one type of disposition. Other types include maintaining a record permanently in the office, transferring a permanent record to the Indiana Archives, or (with special permission from your County Commission on Public Records) transferring a non-permanent record to the Archives or a local historical entity with an interest in the subject.

Once you know how to read and understand retention schedules and record series, you can apply those retention and disposition instructions to your own records. The first rule of records disposition is that we DO talk about records disposition. Contact IARA's County/Local Records
Management section FIRST – before you start filling out any forms – if:

• you don't know the record series that applies to your records
• you think you know it, but you're not quite sure
• you don't think there IS a record series that covers the records you've got
• you have any other questions about the forms, or the process.

IARA staff will help you to determine the correct record series and how to dispose of it, or they'll confirm for you that there isn't a correct record series and help you fill out the form for that.

Contacting IARA if you're uncertain about any part of the disposition process will save you both time and trouble by assuring that everything is done right the first time. Records that are covered by a record-series/retention schedule are referred to as "scheduled records" while records not on a retention schedule (or not on a retention schedule yet) are called "nonscheduled records." There are disposition processes available for both. See Section 4 of the County/Local Records Custodian Handbook for more information.

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Greetings to November!

AMY CHRISTIANSEN

Records Management Liaison

Indiana Archives and Records Administration

o: 812-929-3882

e: achristiansenjanicki@iara.in.gov |

w: www.in.gov/iara

a: 402 W Washington St, Room W472, Indianapolis, IN 46204

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