Labeling Records

Planning

Think through the lifecycle of your records. When you box up your folders ensure you label your box including the fields that will assist you in retrieving or disposing of your records.  

Consider format: Does this need to be retained in paper format or would an electronic copy of the master record serve the same purpose or could that record be historically significant?

Labeling

Proper labeling of boxes allows units to locate hardcopy records and make efficient determinations about disposition eligibility. A box label for paper records is analogous to metadata for electronic records. Metadata is essentially a label for electronic files and folders, and the same information would be used for the properties of an electronic file.

Recommended Metadata for Storing University Records

Include the following fields:

• UTRRS Item Code
• UTRRS Series title or description
• Creator or contact/unit
• Unique identifier
• Archival Requirement Status
• Destruction date or trigger

Whether labeling a box for hardcopy records or adding tags or properties to and creating index files for electronic files and folders, this core set of metadata will assist in retrieving and making disposition determinations for the entire lifecycle of the record.

For those of you using Box, a metadata template has been developed. For more information see our Metadata Template Guide.