RECORDS INVENTORY
To establish a records retention program, it is necessary to find out what records there are, where are they stored, their quantity and how they are used. Without this information you cannot have a records retention program. Conducting a records inventory is often a formidable job. For this reason it is important that all staff who work with records be acquainted with the program and understand that with their cooperation, it is possible to find an answer to the flood of paper that is crowding them out of their offices - an answer that will make their jobs easier.

WHAT ARE RECORDS
One of the first questions that must be answered is "what does the term 'records' include?" The California Acquisition Manual (CAM) defines records as "papers, maps, exhibits, magnetic or paper tapes, microfilm, photographic films and prints and other documents produced, received, owned or used by an agency, regardless of physical form or characteristics."

NONRECORD MATERIAL
It is difficult to draw a clear distinction between records and nonrecord material. However there are certain kinds of material that can usually be discarded as soon as they are read and should never reach a filing cabinet. Some examples are listed below:

• Transmittal letters and acknowledgments which do not add any information to the material transmitted.
• Requests for printed material after the requests have been filled.
• Informal notes, worksheet and rough drafts of letters, memoranda or reports that do not represent basic steps in the preparation of documents.
• Shorthand notes, including stenographic notebooks and stenotype tapes, and dictating media which has been transcribed.
• Miscellaneous notices of community affairs, employee meetings or holidays.
• Stocks of publications or unused forms that are kept for supply purposes only.
• Tickler, follow-up or suspense copies of correspondence.
• Library and reference material.

PREPARING FOR THE INVENTORY
The task of taking an inventory will be easier if you plan for it. The plan should answer such questions as:

• Who will conduct it?
  
• What training is necessary?
  
• When will it start?
  
• In what sequence will office and storage areas be inventoried?
  
• How will inventory data be compiled and organized?
  
• When should it be completed?
  
• What information will be obtained concerning each group of records?

Before starting the inventory, the persons assigned to conduct it should become familiar with the operations of the agency. They should know all the places where records are stored, including closets, safes, cabinets, storerooms and basements.

WHAT INFORMATION IS NEEDED
The Records Inventory Worksheet, Form STD. 70 is available to assist agencies in gathering information needed in a records retention program. The items to be filled in on the Records Inventory Worksheet are discussed below.

Agency, organizational unit and person directly responsible for the records.

Date of the inventory. This should be the actual date the records are inventoried.

1-2) Record series/Description. A record series is a group of related records arranged under a single filing system or kept together as a unit. They deal with a particular subject, result from the same activity or have a special form (maps, blueprints etc.). A record series may contain both forms and correspondence.

It is most important that the title of each record series be as accurate as possible, since all future references to the records will be by the record series name. Vague titles, such as "Corporate Papers", "Official Documents" or "Vital Correspondence" should not be used. A specific recognizable title such as "Project Files for State College Construction" or "Property and Equipment Audit File" should be assigned to the series.

The title of a record series generally should be the same as the one used by the unit responsible for the records, as long as it clearly describes the records included in the series. If for some reason the record series title differs substantially from the designation used by the unit responsible for the records, this should be stated under "Remarks" on the worksheet.

When conducting the inventory, remember that drawer labels do not always state exactly what is in a drawer. Do not copy drawer labels without verifying that the label and the contents are identical.

3) Location of the record series being inventoried.
This includes the building address, room number and location in that room.

An easy way to indicate the specific location of records is to draw a sketch of each room containing records on grid paper. The sketch should show all filing equipment. Each piece of equipment should be designated by number (numbering from left to right, beginning at a doorway or entrance.) This sketch will enable you to record on the Records Inventory Worksheets the specific location of the records being inventoried in that room. For example, if the record series were located in cabinet number 12 in Room 2003, its location would be regarded as 12 on the worksheet.

In some instances, a single record series may fill one or a number of filing cabinets; in others, a record series will occupy only part of a cabinet. This creates the need to distinguish its location in a manner other than just the equipment number. In such an instance, drawers or shelves of filing equipment can be identified by letters starting with "A" at the bottom and going up as high as necessary, omitting the letters "I" and "O" to avoid confusion with numbers. Thus if a record series were contained entirely in the third drawer from the bottom in cabinet number 12, the location of the series would be recorded on the Records Inventory Worksheet as 12-C.

4) Media Type. Enter the appropriate code for the type of record being stored. P-paper (except computer printout,) C- computer printout, M- magnetic or electronic computer tapes/discs or word processing discs, CD Rom, back-up disks/diskettes, D-diazo (working copy) microfilm or microfiche, S-silver (master copy) microfilm or microfiche, OD- optical disk.

5) Years covered by the record series. The period of years covered by the record series should be indicated by the earliest and latest years (Example: 1982-84). In some cases, however, it will not be possible to indicate the years covered. For instance, personnel folders may have to be shown as active or inactive.

6-7) Reference Status/Document. The type of activity a record has determines where it should be stored. Active records are records that need to be readily available and are generally stored in the office. Semi-active and inactive records are accessed occasionally and can be held at a records center. Indicate whether the records series is A-active, S-semi-active, or N-nonactive and whether the document is an original or a copy.

8) Volume of records in the series. The quantity of records should be recorded in volume (cubic feet) of the space they occupy. The figure should represent only those records on hand at the time of inventory.

Information has been included on the back of the Records Inventory Worksheet to assist in determining volume. When the quantity of records in a records series has been determined, it should be rounded off to the nearest cubic foot.

9) Other information that can be obtained during the inventory. Certain other information, if available at the time of the inventory, should be noted on the worksheet under "Remarks" if it pertains to only one part of the records series or if it relates to the entire record series. For example, some records may already have retention periods established. Also, file personnel or others using the records may comment on the activity of the files or the frequency of reference to them. Any information obtained during the inventory that may assist in appraising the records should be noted.

After completing the inventory all worksheets should be brought together. This will provide an opportunity to see where duplication exists within each record series. After collating the worksheets, you will be in a position to begin appraising the records, setting retention periods and establishing retention schedules.