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87 <br /> MANAGING PUBLIC RECORDS IN NORTH CAROLINA <br /> Q. What is this "records retention and disposition schedule"? <br /> A. This document is a tool for the employees of local government agencies across North Carolina to <br /> use when managing the records in their offices. It lists records commonly found in agency <br /> offices and gives an assessment of their value by indicating how long those records should be <br /> retained. This schedule is also an agreement between your agency and the State Archives of <br /> North Carolina. <br /> This schedule serves as the inventory and schedule that the State Archives of North Carolina is <br /> directed by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 121-5(c) and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-8 to provide. It supersedes all <br /> previous editions, including all amendments. <br /> Q. How do 1 get this schedule approved? <br /> A. This schedule must be approved by your governing body for use in your agency. That approval <br /> should be made in a regular meeting and recorded as an action in the minutes. It may be done <br /> as part of the consent agenda, by resolution,or other action. <br /> Q. Am I required to have all the records listed on this schedule? <br /> A. No, this is not a list of records you must have in your office. <br /> Q. What is "reference value"? <br /> A. Items containing"reference value" in the disposition instructions are generally records that hold <br /> limited value,which is typically restricted to those documenting routine operations within the <br /> office. A minimum retention period should be established by the office for any items containing <br /> the phrase "destroy in office when reference value ends" in the disposition instructions. <br /> Q. Do the standards correspond to the organizational structure of my agency? <br /> A. Records series are grouped into standards to make it easier for users to locate records and their <br /> disposition instructions. You may find that the groupings reflect the organizational structure of <br /> your agency,or you may find that records are located in various standards depending on the <br /> content of the record. The intent of the schedule's organization is to provide an easy reference I <br /> guide for the records created in your agency. <br /> i <br /> Q. What if I cannot find some of my records on this schedule? <br /> A. Sometimes the records are listed in a different standard than how you organize them in your <br /> office. Be sure to check the Index and utilize the search function on the PDF version of the <br /> schedule to facilitate the location of records series. If you still cannot locate your records on the <br /> schedule, contact a Records Management Analyst. We will work with you to amend this records <br /> schedule so that you may destroy records appropriately. The Request for Change in Records <br /> Schedule form (see page A-17) can be used for such requests. <br /> Q. What are public records? <br /> A. The General Statutes of North Carolina, Chapter 132, provides this definition of public records: <br /> "Public record" or"public records" shall mean all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, <br /> photographs,films, sound recordings, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data-processing <br /> records, artifacts, or other documentary material, regardless of physical form or <br /> A-1 <br />