• Stores documents in a secure environment for a specified time period
• Offers a retrieval service for documents deposited in the store
• Offers a destruction service for boxes which have reached the end of their lifecycle according to the Retention and Disposal Schedule

How to decide whether your documents should go to the Modern Records Store:

Applying the Retention and Disposal Schedule

The Modern Records Store is intended to store those sets of paper records that are no longer considered as ‘working documents’ but have yet to reach their recommended destruction date. That date will usually be relative to the creation date eg "end of calendar year of creation plus three years", and will be related to the 'business function' to which the records relate eg 'financial records', 'student records' etc.

Advice on how long you should keep records for is set out in the Retention and Disposal Schedules. For general advice on this topic go the Records Management - Introduction web page and follow the links from there.

If you have difficulty determining the appropriate retention period from the Schedules, please contact:

Malcolm Kendall
Library Services
Ext: 44749
Email: m.kendall@bham.ac.uk

Once you have determined how long the records need to be kept for, chose a suitable date and specify that as the Review Date to be entered on the Records Transfer Form (see below).

Modern Record Store Charges

The Modern Record Store charges are based on individual boxes. The fee pays for the cost of the box and associated processing and storage. The fee also includes an ongoing retrieval service for the lifecycle of the box. The fee includes the secure destruction of the contents of the box if required when the Review Date is reached.

The charge for an individual box plus associated paperwork, storage, retrieval and disposal is £4.00 for 2008/2009.

Modern Records Store Box

A sturdy, double skinned cardboard box with separate lid for your storage of non-current records.

Features and Benefits:

• Strong
• Stackable
• Small & Versatile
• Bought flat packed

Dimensions:

380 x 260 x 260 mm

Arranging for Transfer to the Modern Records Store

1. Check how many boxes you will need for your documents to be transferred.
2. Send a Proactis Purchase Order through to the Modern Records Store, Special Collections, Main Library, giving the unit of measure as the number of boxes required and the description as ‘Storage boxes including stationery, storage and retrievals’.
3. As soon as is possible after receipt of the Purchase Order the boxes, together with box label stickers and Record Transfer Forms, will be sent to you. An email will be sent if for any reason the order cannot be fulfilled within 5 days.
4. Then:
   (a)   Fill the boxes with your documents, being sure not to overfill the boxes (overfilled boxes cannot be accepted and will be returned).
   (b)   Stick a box label sticker on the narrow end of each box, making sure it is firmly stuck on and will not come off during transit.
   (c)   Complete a Record Transfer Form for each complete box making sure to include as much information as possible including an accurate Review Date – check the Retention and Disposal Schedule to establish this date. (Examples of correctly completed Records Transfer Forms).
   Boxes cannot be accepted into the Modern Records Store if they do not have a Review Date entered on the Records Transfer Form. Separate review dates cannot be applied to individual items within a box; if items have different review dates then they need to go into different boxes.
   (d)   Place the Records Transfer Form in the top of the related box; all three copies of the form (pink, yellow and white) should be kept together. Write the unique serial number from the top of the Records Transfer Form in the relevant space on the box label sticker. The other information on the box label sticker will be completed by the Modern Records Store.
5. Contact the Porters on ext 45639 to arrange for the boxes to be collected and delivered to the Modern Records Store. Alternatively you can deliver them yourself on a sack trolley or by hand. Email modern-records@contacts.bham.ac.uk or telephone ext 45839 to check that the material can be received at the Modern Records Store before confirming final arrangements for delivery.
6. The box will be processed and the pink copy of the Record Transfer Form returned by internal mail. This form contains the unique serial number, bay location, box number and review date that will need to be quoted if a box or file is requested for recall so the form and its information need to be kept in a safe place.

Retrieval of Documents

Boxes or individual files within a box can be retrieved from the Modern Records Store on request. To request the retrieval of a box or file please:

• download, print and complete the Retrieval/Return Form, making sure that all the sections are completed
• send the completed form to Special Collections, Muirhead Tower, or FAX it to 0121-414 5810.

In most instances the material will be retrieved on the following day after receipt of the request for retrieval.

The same form should also be used if a box is requested to be permanently returned. Only complete boxes can be returned on a permanent basis.

Review Date

Once the contents of a box has reached its recommended Review Date, as specified by the depositor on the original Records Transfer Form, a letter will be sent from the Modern Records Store to the depositor requesting permission to destroy the box or seeking a review of the retention period. The box will not be destroyed without permission from the depositor. If a reply is not received by the Modern Records Store within 30 days the box will be returned to the depositor and cannot be reaccepted back into the Modern Records Store.

Once records reach the end of their lifecycles they should be destroyed.

Alternatives to the Modern Records Store

A number of commercial companies provide records management services including storage. Their details can be found on the Internet or in the Yellow Pages. There is no requirement to use the Modern Records Store if another source of storage would be more appropriate.

Contact Details

The Modern Records Store can be contacted through Special Collections at;

modern-records@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Tel: ext 45839 or 44740