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DESTRUCTION OF PUBLIC RECORDS <br />Q. LPhen can I destroy records? <br />A. Each records series listed on this schedule has specific disposition instructions that indicate how long that <br />series must be kept in your offices. In some cases, the disposition instructions are "Retain in office <br />permanently," which means that those records must be kept is your offices forever. (See also the question <br />below, "How should I deal with my permanent records~~ <br />Q. How do I destroy records? <br />A. After your county has approved this records retention and disposition schedule, records should be destroyed in <br />one of the following ways: <br />burned, unless prohibited by local ordinance; <br />shredded, or tom up so as to destroy the record content of the documents or material concerned; <br />placed in acid vats so as to reduce the paper to pulp and to terminate the existence of the documents or <br />materials concerned; <br />buried under such conditions that the record nature of the documents or materials will be temvnated; <br />sold as waste paper, provided that the purchaser agrees in writing that the documents or materials <br />concerned will not be resold as documents or records. <br />- N.C. Administrative Code, Title 7, Chapter 4, Subchapter M, Section .0510 <br />Confidential records should be destroyed in a secure manner so that the information contained in them cannot <br />be used. <br />Q. How can I destroy records if they are not listed on this schedule? <br />A. Contact the Records Management Analyst assigned to your county. Your analyst will discuss the nature of the <br />records with you to determine if the records have historical value. If the records do have historical value, we <br />will discuss the possibility of transferring the records to the State Archives to be preserved permanently. <br />If the records do not have historical value, we will ask you to complete a Request and Approval of <br />Unscheduled Records Disposal (located at the end of this schedule) if the records are not currently created. <br />If the records are an active records series, your analyst will help you develop an amendment to this schedule so <br />that you can continue to destroy the records appropriately. <br />Q. I have some old records that aren't on this schedule, but that we don't <br />use any more. How can I get them destroyed? <br />A. At the end of this schedule is a form. called the Request and Approval of Unscheduled Records Disposal. <br />Complete that form and submit it to us. We will get in touch with you, and make a determination about that <br />destruction. <br />Q. Do I have to-tell anyone about the destruction? <br />A. We recommend that you report on your records retention activities to pour Board of Commissioners on an <br />annual basis. This report does not need to be detailed', but it is;important that significant destructions be <br />entered into the minutes of the Board. <br />Q. Computer storage is cheap. I'll just keep my computer records. <br />A. The best practice is to destroy all records that have met their retention requirements at the same time, <br />regardless of format. <br />Q. Can I give my old records to the historical society or public library? <br />A. Before you offer any record to a historical society, public library, or any other entity, you must contact the <br />Records Management Analyst assigned to your county. Permanent records must be kept either in your offices <br />or at the State Archives. <br />vi <br />