Are Notes Records?

Throughout the typical workday, it is easy to jot down reminders, take notes during a department meeting, or write down some ideas inspired by a conference presentation or training. Because notes sometimes have a sense of documenting government business and are useful for creating a potential record, you might wonder if what you just scribbled…

Person reviewing two pieces of paper.

Official Record Copy

How many duplicates of a record must a government keep for the full retention period? In terms of records management laws and rules, one copy of a record must be kept for the full retention period, and we call this the “official record copy.” Any identical copies of the official record copy are considered “convenience…

De-Duplicating Software: An Introduction

One of the most useful tools in managing electronic records is de-duplication software. Is it right for your government? In short, de-duplication software can be used to analyze electronic records to determine if there are duplicates in a drive or folder. There are countless versions of this class of software available online. Some will charge,…