What should I keep? | Small Business and Organizations

To protect your organization's legacy, you should be compiling documentation of its principal business activities. It is essential to document how it interacts with other organizations, the state, and the public. How it is run, and of course—how it is managed along with any key policies and decisions. And finally, the important things it has published—including websites and social media. Items such as:

• Correspondence (including substantive email) between colleagues, professional associations, etc.

• Meeting minutes

• Research files, notebooks

• Reports (Formal reports, technical reports)

• Group and Department communications

• Committee minutes and supporting documents

• Teaching materials, lecture notes, Institute, colloquium materials, presentations

• Biographical materials

• Journals, serials runs, monographs, and monographic series published by your organization

• Ephemeral descriptive materials, such as brochures, pamphlets, maps, and directories

• Architectural drawings and plans

• Audio-visual materials, including photographs (prints, negatives), slides, video, film, DVDs, recordings

• Scrapbooks, news clippings, awards

• Oral history tapes and transcripts

• Posters and other promotional items

• Microforms

• Artifacts

This is not a comprehensive list. However, it will get you started in the right direction and give you an idea of what records you should consider keeping. Contact us when you are ready to learn more.