Hi Dan,
I would strongly recommend against treating email as a single series with a
single retention period. Email messages should be stored and retained
according to their content, just as any other type of electronic or paper
record. There are tools to assist in the automated classification of emails
into appropriate folders, parts, fonds, etc.
I would also strongly recommend against keeping all of them - just as you
would not keep all of your paper (working papers, ephemera, notes and
drafts, etc.), neither should you simply keep all the email messages.
Anything you have would presumably be required to be produced in the event
of litigation, whether declared as a record or not.
Caveat: I am a US-based records and information management consultant, but I
would argue that best practice is to treat email as you would any other
record: declare, classify, retain, and disposition according to content
rather than media or format.
Cheers,
Jesse Wilkins
CDIA+, LIT, EDP, ICP
Metalinear Media
(303) 574-1455 office
(303) 484-4142 fax
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Yahoo!: jessewilkins8511
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>From: Dan Horrex <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Dan Horrex <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Email Archiving - retention periods
>Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 15:00:46 +0100
>
>Dear All,
>
>I am looking for some guidance in terms of email archiving and the
>retention periods which have been set for emails. What retention period/s
>has everyone configured their email archiving or EDRM to? Do you all have a
>standard retention period? Do you keep emails indefinitely?
>
>Regards
>Dan Horrex
>Information Manager
>Huntingdonshire District Council
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