Things to remember when considering vendor storage
- You should not send records to storage that have met retention. Destroy eligible records using the Certificate of Records Destruction (RM3).
- You must have access to URMA in order to send boxes off-site.
- The contents of a box should all fall under the same records series and have the same destruction dates.
- If it is necessary to mix destruction dates to fill a box, the destruction date of the box will be set to the latest of these dates.
- Vendors charge at a "per box" rate.
Steps to prepare boxes for vendor storage
- Remove binders or other containers. Use folders, colored paper, or other dividers between binder groups to establish separation.
- Remove binder clips, butterfly clips, hanging files, and plastic sleeves. Smaller paper clips and staples can remain.
- Consult with Records & Information Management staff about inclusion of electronic media, cassette tapes, video tapes, etc.
- Use a standard records storage box (10" x 15" x 12"). Copy paper boxes or over-sized bankers boxes are not acceptable.
- Place the URMA label on one of the box's end panels (the narrow ends of the box).
- Do not tape the box closed. If the lid doesn't fit securely on the box without tape, move some of the contents to a second box.
- Keep an inventory of each box's contents - this will help if you need to pull a record/box in the future.
Doing this work on the front end saves money! If the vendor has to sort through your boxes to discard non-paper items during the destruction process, you will be charged an additional fee.
Contact us with any questions.