Collection Development Statement
Records Management

Records Management is the systematic control of information from creation or receipt, through processing and use, until final disposition, either destruction or placement into an archive. Rutgers University is committed to developing a comprehensive records management program which will increase productivity, establish the length of time each department must retain its records, and ensure that the university retains records for legally required records retention periods.

The primary purpose of Records Management, stated in simple terms is "fewer and better records"

To that end, the objectives in managing records are:

• To make the records serve the purposes for which they were created as cheaply and effectively as possible,
• To make them available during any required records retention period, and
• To make a proper disposition of them after they have served those original purposes.

All records management services should be coordinated through the University Records Management Coordinator. The Records Coordinator is part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.

The Records Coordinator is responsible for the development and maintenance of a comprehensive records management program. This program goals and objectives include:

• Retention and disposition schedule development and implementation.
• Identification and transfer of historically significant records to University Archives.
• Systematic legal disposition of records that have outlived their required retention period.
• File management systems design and development.
• Overseeing vital records concerns.
• Facilitating the creation of usable records containing accurate and complete information.
• Preventing the creation of unnecessary records.
• Recommending alternative means of records reformatting and storage (Optical/Digital/Offsite Warehousing).
• Faculty/Staff records management training workshops and seminars.
• Electronic records management recommendations.
• Promoting efficient administration of information resources.
• Facilitate records surveys and inventories.
• Making records readily available when needed, thereby minimizing time spent in seeking out information.