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218 <br /> ELECTRONIC RECORDS: <br /> E-MAIL, BORN-DIGITAL RECORDS, AND DIGITAL IMAGING <br /> Q. When can I delete my e-mail? <br /> A. E-mail is a public record as defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 121-5 and § 132. Electronic mail is as <br /> much a record as any paper record and must be treated in the same manner. It is the content <br /> of each message that is important. If a particular message would have been filed as a paper <br /> memo, it should still be filed (either in your e-mail program or in your regular directory <br /> structure), and it should be retained the same length of time as its paper counterparts. It is <br /> inappropriate to destroy e-mail simply because storage limits have been reached. Some <br /> examples of e-mail messages that are public records and therefore covered by this policy <br /> 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 <br /> transaction; 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), <br /> available at the State Archives of North Carolina website I <br /> Other publications (available online at the State Archives of North Carolina website)that will be <br /> particularly helpful in managing your e-mail include tutorials on managing e-mail as a public <br /> record and on using Microsoft Exchange. <br /> Q. May I print my e-mail to file it? <br /> A. We do not recommend printing e-mail for preservation purposes. Important metadata is lost <br /> when e-mail is printed. <br /> Q. I use my personal e-mail account for work. No one can see my personal e-mail, <br /> right? <br /> A. The best practice is to avoid using personal resources, including private e-mail accounts, for <br /> public business. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-1 states that records "made or received pursuant to law <br /> or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency of North <br /> Carolina government or its subdivisions" are public records (emphasis added). The fact that <br /> public records reside in a personal e-mail account is irrelevant. <br /> A-11 <br /> i <br />