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116 <br /> Audits and Litigation Actions <br /> Records subject to audit or those legally required for ongoing official proceedings must be retained until released <br /> from such audits or official proceedings, notwithstanding the instructions of this schedule. <br /> Electronic Records <br /> All local government agencies and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources concur that the long-term <br /> and/or permanent preservation of electronic records requires additional commitment and active management by <br /> the agency. Agencies agree to comply with all policies, standards,and best practices published by the Department <br /> of Natural and Cultural Resources regarding the creation and management of electronic records. <br /> Local government agencies should consider retention requirements and disposition authorities when designing <br /> and implementing electronic records management systems. Any type of electronically-created or electronically- <br /> stored information falls under the North Carolina General Assembly's definition of public records cited above. For <br /> example, e-mail, text messages, blog posts, voicemails, websites, word processing documents, spreadsheets, <br /> databases,and PDFs all fall within this definition of public records. In addition,G.S.§ 132-6.1(a)specifies: <br /> "Databases purchased, leased, created, or otherwise acquired by every public agency containing public <br /> records shall be designed and maintained in a manner that does not impair or impede the public agency's <br /> ability to permit the public inspection and examination of public records and provides a means of <br /> obtaining copies of such records. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the retention by <br /> the public agency of obsolete hardware or software." <br /> Local government agencies may scan any paper record and retain it electronically for ease of retrieval. If an <br /> agency wishes to destroy the original paper records before their assigned retention periods have been met, the <br /> agency must establish an electronic records policy, including putting into place procedures for quality assurance <br /> and documentation of authorization for records destructions approved by the Government Records Section. This <br /> electronic records policy and releases for destruction of records must be approved by the Government Records <br /> Section. Agencies should be aware that for the purpose of any audit, litigation, or public records request, they are <br /> considered the records custodian obligated to produce requested records, even if said records are being <br /> maintained electronically by an outside vendor. Therefore, contracts regarding electronically stored information <br /> should be carefully negotiated to specify how records can be exported in case a vendor goes out of business or the <br /> agency decides to award the contract to a different vendor. <br /> Reference Copies <br /> All local government agencies and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources agree that certain records <br /> series possess only brief administrative,fiscal, legal, research,and reference value. These records series have been <br /> designated by retention periods that allow these records to be destroyed when "reference value ends." All local <br /> government agencies hereby agree that they will establish and enforce internal policies setting minimum retention <br /> periods for the records that Natural and Cultural Resources has scheduled with the disposition instruction "destroy <br /> when reference value ends." If a local government agency does not establish internal policies and retention <br /> periods, the local government agency is not complying with the provisions of this retention schedule and is not <br /> authorized by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to destroy the records with the disposition <br /> instruction "destroy when reference value ends." <br /> Record Copy <br /> A record copy is defined as "The single copy of a document, often the original, that is designated as the official <br /> copy for reference and preservation."' The record copy is the one whose retention and disposition is mandated by <br /> this schedule; all additional copies are considered reference or access copies and can be destroyed when their <br /> usefulness expires. In some cases, postings to social media may be unofficial copies of information that is captured <br /> elsewhere as a record copy (e.g., a press release about an upcoming agency event that is copied to various social <br /> media platforms). Appropriately retaining record copies and disposing of reference copies requires agencies to <br /> 1 Society of American Archivists, Dictionary of Archives Terminology. <br /> 2021 General Records Schedule: Local Government Agencies ii <br />