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98 <br /> Q. We have an imaging system. Are we required to keep the paper? <br /> A. You may scan any record, but you will need to receive approval from the Government Records <br /> Section in order to destroy paper originals that have been digitized. Your agency must develop <br /> an electronic records policy and then submit a Request for Disposal of Original Records <br /> Duplicated by Electronic Means. You can find these templates in the Digital Imaging section of <br /> the State Archives of North Carolina website (https://archives.ncdcr.gov/government/digital- <br /> records/digital-records-policies-and-guidelines#digital-imaging). Contact a Records <br /> Management Analyst for further instructions on how to develop a compliant electronic records <br /> policy. <br /> Permanent records must have a security preservation copy as defined by State Archives of <br /> North Carolina's Human-Readable Preservation Duplicate Policy(N.C. Gen.Stat. § 132-8.2): <br /> Preservation duplicates shall be durable, accurate,complete and clear, and such <br /> duplicates made by a photographic, photo static, microfilm, micro card, miniature <br /> photographic, or other process which accurately reproduces and forms a durable <br /> medium for so reproducing the original shall have the same force and effect for all <br /> purposes as the original record whether the original record is in existence or not. ... <br /> Such preservation duplicates shall be preserved in the place and manner of <br /> safekeeping prescribed by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. <br /> The preservation duplicate of permanent records must be either on paper or microfilm. <br /> Non-permanent records may be retained in any format. You will need to take precautions with <br /> electronic records that you must keep more than about 5 years. Computer systems do not have <br /> long life cycles. Each time you change computer systems,you must convert all records to the <br /> new system so that you can assure their preservation and provide access. <br /> Q. Computer storage is cheap. Can I just keep my computer records <br /> permanently? <br /> A. The best practice is to destroy all records that have met their retention requirements, regardless <br /> of format. <br /> Q. What are the guidelines regarding the creation and handling of electronic <br /> public records, including text messages and social media? <br /> A. There are numerous documents available on the State Archives of North Carolina website <br /> (https://archives.ncdcr.gov/government/digital-records/digital-records-policies-and-guidelines). <br /> Topics covered include shared storage, cloud computing, e-discovery,trustworthy digital public <br /> records, digital signatures, e-mail,social media,text messages, websites, digital imaging, <br /> metadata,file formats, database indexing, and security backups. <br /> Note that e-mail,text messages, and social media should be handled according to their content. <br /> Therefore,this schedule does not include a records series that instructs you on how to handle <br /> one of these born-digital records by format; instead of focusing on how the information is <br /> disseminated, consider what content is contained in the e-mail,text message, or social media <br /> post. For instance, an e-mail requesting leave that is sent to a supervisor should be kept for 3 <br /> years. On the General Records Schedule: Local Government Agencies,see Leave Records <br /> (Standard 4: HUMAN RESOURCES RECORDS). <br /> A-12 <br />