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ELECTRONIC RECORDS: <br /> EMAIL, BORN DIGITAL RECORDS, AND DIGITAL IMAGING <br /> Q. When can I delete my email? <br /> A. Email is a public record as defined by G.S. §121-5 and G.S. §132. Electronic mail is just as much a record <br /> as any traditional paper record,and must be treated in the same ways. It is the content of each message <br /> that is important. If a particular message would have been filed as a paper memo, it should still be filed <br /> (either in your email program or in your regular directory structure),and it should be retained the same <br /> length of time as its paper counterparts. It is inappropriate to destroy email simply because storage <br /> limits have been reached. Some examples of email messages that are public records and therefore <br /> covered by this policy include: <br /> • Policies or directives; <br /> • Final drafts of reports and recommendations; <br /> • Correspondence and memoranda related to official business; <br /> • Work schedules and assignments; <br /> • Meeting agendas or minutes <br /> • Any document or message that initiates,facilitates,authorizes,or completes a business transaction; <br /> and <br /> • Messages that create a precedent,such as issuing instructions and advice. <br /> From the Department of Cultural Resources E-Mail Policy(Revised July 2009), available at the State Archives of <br /> North Carolina website <br /> Other publications will be particularly helpful in managing your email (available online at the State <br /> Archives of North Carolina website): <br /> • E-Mail as a Public Record in North Carolina:A Policy for Its Retention and Disposition <br /> • Online E-mail Tutorial:Managing Your In box:E-mail as a Public Record <br /> • Online Tutorial:Managing Public Records for Local Government Agencies <br /> • Guidelines for E-mail as a Public Record in North Carolina:Tips and Tricks for Using Microsoft <br /> Exchange Software to Manage E-mail <br /> Q. May I print my email to file it? <br /> A. We do not recommend printing email for preservation purposes. Important metadata is lost when email is <br /> printed. <br /> Q. I use my personal email account for work. No one can see my personal <br /> email. <br /> A. The best practice is to avoid using personal resources, including private email accounts,for public <br /> business. G.S. §132-1 states that records "made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection <br /> with the transaction of public business by any agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions" <br /> are public records (emphasis added). The fact that public records reside in a personal email account is <br /> irrelevant. <br /> Q. We have an imaging system. Do we have to keep the paper? <br /> A. You may scan any record, including permanent records. You will need to receive approval from the <br /> Government Records Section in order to destroy paper originals that have been digitized. Your office <br /> should follow our guidelines, available on the State Archives of North Carolina website. Contact the <br /> Records Management Analyst assigned to your county for further instructions on how to develop a <br /> compliant Electronic Records Policy. <br /> viii <br />