Records Management

With certain statutory exceptions, all state agencies, boards and commissions are required to establish and maintain ongoing programs for the efficient and economical management of records and have their programs approved by the Archives and Records Commission (PDF of 67 O.S. § 206, 305).

Most programs are delineated in records disposition schedules that have been prepared by the Oklahoma State Archives, working in conjunction with the Records Management Coordinators in individual agencies.

General Records Disposition Schedules

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Scheduling

Records Retention Schedule Revision Process

• Review the agency's record retention schedule and identify records series that need to be added, amended, or removed.
• Collaborate with other departments in the agency to draft revisions that accurately reflect business practices and meet statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Underline text that is added and strikethrough text that is removed.
• Contact the Administrative Archivist to discuss the proposed changes.
• Allow impacted departments, legal, and agency administration to review the draft.
• Submit the approved draft to the Administrative Archivist to be included on the agenda for the next Archives and Records Commission meeting.

o Drafts must be received four weeks prior to the meeting date to be included on that meeting's agenda.

o The Archives and Records Commission meets quarterly in January, April, July, and October.

Revision Guidelines

Each agency should review its records retention schedule annually.

The records schedule should be amended in the following situations:

• To add records that are now being received or generated in the department which are not listed on the retention schedule.
• To delete or remove recordsseries for records that are no longer received, generated, or maintained by the agency.
• To change retention periods.
• To change descriptions of the records.
• To denote the status of a record as essential or to identify the office of record.
• To remove series which are included in the General Records Disposition Schedule.

In some cases, it may be appropriate to create an entirely new retention schedule.

Destruction

As required by OAC 60:10-3-2(b) of the Rules and Regulations of the Archives and Records Commission, the State Records Administrator must be notified thirty (30) days in advance of any destruction of records carried out in accordance with the Records Disposition Schedule. Notification shall be submitted to the Administrative Archivist on one of the following forms:

• ARC Form 4 (Notice of Intent to Destroy)
• ARC Form 5 (Notice of Intent to Destroy Records That Have Been Microfilmed)
• ARC Form 6 (Notice of Intent to Destroy Microforms)
• ARC Form 12 (Notice of Intent to Destroy Records That Have Been Imaged)
• ARC Form 13 (Notice of Intent to Destroy Optical Disks)

Each form must list the Records Disposition Schedule / Records Disposition Authorization Number, the names of the records series involved, inclusive dates, and the number of cubic feet, reels, or optical disks to be destroyed or the files to be deleted from rewritable optical disks.

Transfer and Storage at the Records Center

Step 1. Preparation and Packing of Records

• Agency identifies records eligible for transfer to the State Records Center and packs them in standard cubic-foot boxes.
• Use RMD Form 3 to create labels for each box.
• Affix labels to one short side and one long side of each box.

Step 2. Paperwork Requesting Transfer from Agency to State Records Center

• Agency completes RMD Form 2 for the boxes packed in Step 1.

Step 3. Review of Transfer Request

• Agency emails completed paperwork to State Records Center staff at archives@libraries.ok.gov.
• State Records Center staff reviews the paperwork and will contact the agency if there are questions.
• Transfers will only be accepted with accurate and complete paperwork.

Step 4. Scheduling the Transfer of Records

• Once transfer paperwork has been approved by State Records Center staff, the agency can schedule a time to transfer the records to the State Records Center.
• The State Records Center is open every Monday and Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., excluding state holidays.

Step 5. Transfer of Records

• The agency is responsible for transporting records to the State Records Center at the scheduled time.
• The State Records Center is located at 426 E. Hill Street in Oklahoma City.
• Agency staff is responsible for unloading all boxes and placing them in stacks of five in numerical order (ascending or descending order is acceptable).
• If possible, at the time of the transfer, State Records Center staff will ensure the transfer paperwork matches the box labels and the number of boxes delivered. Any discrepancies will need to be corrected by the agency before the boxes are accepted and accessioned.
• State Records Center staff will complete the transfer form by adding an accession number and the location of the boxes.
• Depending on the size of the transfer, State Records Center staff will give the agency a copy of the completed paperwork in person at the time of transfer or shortly thereafter via email or interagency mail.