Publications and Advice Sheets for Government

Click to expand each topic...

Archives Advisory Committee...

What Is the Archives Advisory Committee?

Basics of Records Management...

Benefits of Managing Public Records
Laws and Rules for Records Management

What is a Public Record?

Destroying Non-Archival Records...

Are Agencies Required to Destroy Their Non-Archival Records?
Can Agencies Donate Rather Than Destroy Their Records?
Documenting the Destruction of Public Records

Methods for Destroying Electronic Records
Methods for Destroying Paper Records
Strategies for Giving Notice of Destruction of Special Education (SpEd) Records

Developing Records Retention Schedules...

Checklist for Evaluating New/Updated Records Series
Checklist for Updating the Front Page of Schedules - ( Visual Guide )
How Are Records Retention Periods Determined
How Schedules Affecting More than One Agency are Updated

How to Describe Records Series Using an Excludes Statement
How to Format Designations
How to Format Records Series Titles and Descriptions
Preparing State Agency Schedules for Submission
State Agency Schedule Approval Process

Disaster Preparedness...

Are Fire-Proof Safes/Cabinets Required?
Basics of Preparing for Disasters
Benefits of Preparing for Disasters
Disaster Preparation Checklist
Disaster Preparedness Worksheet

How to Find Which Records are Designated as "Essential"
Selecting Appropriate Records Storage
Supplies and Services Disaster Response Checklist
What Does an "Essential" Designation Mean?

Disaster Response...

What to Do with Wet Paper Records

Electronic Records Management...

Appropriate Use of Portable Media (CDs, DVDs, Flash Drives)
Are Emails Public Records?
Are Social Media Posts Public Records?
Are Student Emails Public Records?
Are Text Messages Public Records?
Are Voicemails Public Records?
Basics of Managing Electronic Records
Basics of Managing Social Media Records
Basics of Managing Text Messages
Basics of Managing Voicemail Records
Can Meeting Recordings Be Deleted After Meeting Minutes Have Been Approved?
Can Paper Records Be Destroyed After Imaging/Scanning?
Can Records Be Encrypted?
Capture and Retention of Text Messages
Checklist for Evaluating Records Retention Capabilities in Software
Do Agency Meetings Need to Be Recorded?
Examples of Retention for Common Types of Social Media Posts (Local Governments)
Examples of Retention for Common Types of Social Media Posts (State Agencies)
Factors Affecting the Cost of Digitizing Paper Records
Hard Drives and Multipurpose Copies/Scanners
How Long Do Backups Need to Be Kept?
How Long Do Chat/Instant Messaging Records Need to Be Kept?
How Long Do Database Records Need to Be Kept?
How Long Do Emails Need to Be Kept?

How Long Do Meeting Recordings Need to Be Kept? (Local Governments)
How Long Do Meeting Recordings Need to Be Kept? (State Agencies)
How Long Do Migration Process Records Need to Be Kept?
How Long Do Social Media "Likes" Need to Be Kept?
How Long Do Social Media Posts Need to Be Kept?
How Long Do Text Messages Need to Be Kept?
How Long Do Voicemails Need to Be Kept?
How to Do a Bulk Email Clean-Up Project
Keep Electronic Records in Electronic Format
Keep the Last Email or All Emails in the Thread?
Managing Public Records Created or Received as Text Messages
Meat Cleaver Method for Bulk Email Clean-Up
Options for Digitizing Large Format Records
Sampling Analysis for Bulk Email Clean-Up
Search and Destroy Method for Bulk Email Clean-Up
Strategies for Managing Analog Audio/Visual Recordings
Strategies for Managing Chat/Instant Messaging Retention
Strategies for Managing Retention of Inappropriate Social Media Comments
Strategies for Managing Social Media Records Retention
Strategies for Managing Voicemail Retention
Strategies for Migrating Database Records
Websites are Public Records
What Formats Should I Use for Digital Audio?
What Happened to the EIS/DAD Approval Process?
What is Metadata (and Why Does it Matter)?

Improving Agency RM Programs...

How Managing Records Helps with Public Records Requests
Recommended Policies and Procedures for Managing Records

What are the Leading Practices for Records Management and Retention?
Examples of Leading Practices in Action

Local Records Grants...

About the Local Records Grant Program
Can an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) System be Funded by a Technology Tools Grant?
Can Public Records Request Tracking Software be Funded by a Technology Tools Grant?
Can Redaction Software be Funded by a Technology Tools Grant?
Can a Scanner be Funded by a Technology Tools Grant?
Can Social Media Capture Software be Funded by a Technology Tools Grant?
Can the Local Records Grant Cover Staff Time?
Checklist for Submitting an Online Grant Application
How a Digital Imaging Grant Can Help
How an Organizing the File Room Grant Can Help
How a Technology Tools Grant Can Help
How Local Records Grant Applications are Scored

How to Request Reimbursement for Your Local Records Grant
List of Grants Awarded - First Cycle 2018
List of Grants Awarded - Second Cycle 2018
List of Grants Awarded - Third Cycle 2019-20
List of Grants Awarded - 2021-22
List of Grants Awarded - 2022-23
List of Grants Awarded - 2023-24
Preview Digital Imaging Grant Application Questions
Preview Organizing the File Room Grant Application Questions
Preview Technology Tools Grant Application Questions
Tips for Applying for a Digital Imaging Grant
Tips for Applying for an Organizing the File Room Grant
Tips for Applying for a Technology Tools Grant
What Happened to the 2020-21 Local Records Grant Cycle?
What Happens After You Are Awarded a Grant?

Microfilming Records...

Proper Microfilm Splicing
What's the Difference Between Microfilm and Microfiche?

Open Government Training...

Open Government Training Certificate Template
Training Requirements for Elected Officials

Training Requirements for Members of Governing Bodies
Training Requirements for Public Records Officers

Organizing and Inventorying Records...

Benefits of Using Washington State Archives' Boxes
How Often Should Records/Data Be Inventoried?
How to Order Washington State Archives' Boxes

Selecting Appropriate Shelving for Records Storage
What Should Agencies Include in a Records/Data Inventory?
When to Use Washington State Archives' Boxes

Transferring Archival Records...

Benefits of Transferring Records to the Archives
How to Complete a Digital Transfer Inventory Sheet
How to Contact the Archives Branch in Your Region
How to Export Calendars from Outlook to a PST File
How to Fill Out a Records Transmittal and Box Content List
How to Find Which Records Are Designated as "Archival"
Overview of Archival Transfer Process for Paper Records

Overview of Transfer Process for Digital Calendars
Overview of Transfer Process for Digital Meeting Records
Preparing Digital Records for Archival Transfer
Preparing Paper Records for Archival Transfer
Quick Guide to Indexing Archival Audio Records
What Legislators' Records Are Sent to the Archives?
Why are Real Estate Excise Tax Affidavits (REETAs) Archival?

Using Records Retention Schedules (How Long to Keep)...

Associated Student Body (ASB) Records
Backups
Chat/Instant Messaging
Communications Between Legislators
Constituent Communications (Legislators)
COVID-19 Pandemic Records
COVID-19 Contact Tracing Logs and Screening Records
COVID-19 Vaccination Verification Records
Database Records
Drone Operation Records (Local Governments)
Drone Operation Records (State Agencies)
Drone Recordings
Election Operations Video Recordings
Emails
Head Start Records
Individual Meeting Members' Notes/Recordings
Journals of the House and Senate
Law Enforcement Misconduct Records
Law Enforcement Personnel Records
Law Enforcement Training Records
Meeting Recordings (Local Governments)
Meeting Recordings (State Agencies)

Migration Process Records
Police Body Cam Recordings
Police Dash Cam Recordings
Police Drone Recordings
Police Radar Calibration Records
Position Recruitment Records (Local Governments)
Position Recruitment Records (State Agencies)
Public Records Request Logs
Public Records Requests
Recorded Lessons
School District P-223 Forms
Social Media "Likes"
Social Media Posts
Text Messages
Use of Force Reports
Utility Discounts/Tax Exemptions
Utility Locates
Voicemails
Volunteer Records (Local Governments)
Volunteer Records (State Agencies)

Using Records Retention Schedules (Which Schedules to Use)...

Air Pollution Control Authorities / Clean Air Agencies
Airport Districts
Area Agencies on Aging
Behavioral Health Organizations
Cemetery Districts
Community and Technical Colleges
Construction Records
County Auditors
County Clerks
District and Municipal Courts
Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Providers
Financial Records
Fire Districts/Departments
Housing Authorities
Juvenile Courts

Law Enforcement Agencies
Legislators
Legislature
Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs)
Park Districts
Payroll Records
Personnel Records
Port Districts
Prosecuting Attorneys
Public Hospital Districts
Public Libraries
Schools
Superior Courts
Water and Sewer Districts
Weed Districts

Using Records Retention Schedules (Other Advice)...

Examples of Common Records with Minimal Retention
Examples of Legislators' Records with Minimal Retention
Examples of Retention for Common Types of Social Media Posts (Local Governments)
Examples of Retention for Common Types of Social Media Posts (State Agencies)
How to Choose Between Multiple Records Series
How to Determine the Correct Records Series
How to Navigate Records Retention Schedules
How to Research Previous Retention Schedules
Impact of Public Records Requests on Records Retention
Notorious/Historically Significant Case Files/Inmate Records
Notorious/Historically Significant Court Exhibits and Recordings of Proceedings
Notorious/Historically Significant Legal Case Files
Records of Survey Filed with the County Auditor (Paper vs. Mylar)
Strategies for Applying Retention Schedule Updates
Strategies for Applying Retention to Subject Files
Strategies for Managing Child Support Title IV-D Case Files
Strategies for Managing Sensitive Payment Cardholder Data
Strategies for Managing Sex Offender Case Records
Strategies for Managing Smart Meter Data/Records