Program Manual
Glossary of terms and abbreviations
Several words or phrases used in records management may be unfamiliar to some users. The following glossary explains some of the terms.
Active record - A record or record file used frequently by the agency. Active records are not eligible for storage in the Records Center.
Agency - Any department, office, commission, board or other unit of state government.
Agency records disposition schedule - A complete listing of all records found in or under the control of an agency'' office. This listing contains records retained in the agency as well as those that will be stored at the Records Center. The schedule also lists the retention period for each record series. This schedule becomes the legal authority for disposition of records.
Alphabetic system - Any system for arranging records which is based on the alphabet.
CSA - Completion of State Audit. Records so designated are to be retained until they have met audit requirements. Ninety (90) days after the audit report is received, these records can be destroyed if the audit was satisfactory.
DCA - Destroy in Current Area. Records so designated should be destroyed in the current office area when they no longer have reference value. These records may not be stored in the Records Center.
Electronic Record - A Record containing machine readable, as opposed to human readable information and consisting of character-coded electronic signals that can be processed by a computer.
Federal requirements - Records are to be retained to meet federal requirements, the sending agency will provide copies of the regulations that specifically indicates the retention period as required by federal regulations.
Microfiche - A four inch by five inch sheet of microfilm containing images in a grid pattern.
Microfilm - A photographic reproduction on fine grain, high-resolution film of a document greatly reduced in size from the original.
Microfilm Jacket - Two thin pieces of rectangular transparent polyester material that are sealed together in channels usually 16mm or 35mm wide and containing a header strip across the tope for the file title. Strips of film are inserted into the channels.
Microform - A generic term for any medium containing microimages.
Micrographics - A broad term associated with aspects of microimaging and reprography.
MF/RTA - Microfilm and return documents to agency.
Numeric System - Any system for arranging records which is based on numbers.
PR - Permanent Retention. Records so designated are to be retained permanently because of their historical, legal, administrative or fiscal value. Permanent means permanent. Less than permanent requires use of designated years.
Record - Any document, book, paper, photograph, map, sound recording or other material, regardless of physical form or characteristics, made or received pursuant to law or in connection with the transaction of official business (RSMo 109.210.5).
Records Center Box - A corrugated cardboard box designed to hold approximately one cubic foot of records, either legal or letter size.
Records Center - A low-cost centralized area for housing and servicing inactive or semi-active records whose reference rate does no warrant their retention in a prime office space. Documents stored in the Record Center remain in the intellectual custody of the agency even though they are in the physical custody of the Record Center.
Records Inventory - A detailed listing of the volume of an organization's records.
Records Management - The systematic control of all records from the creation, or receipt, through their processing, distribution, organization, storage and retrieval to their ultimate disposition.
Record Series - A group of similar or related records, used or filed as a unit.
Retention period - The time records must be kept according to the agency record disposition schedule.
Semi-active records - A record or record file that would not be referred to on a daily or weekly basis.
Special requirements - When records are kept to meet special requirements of associations or other special groups, the sending agency will provide copies of the regulations that will specifically indicate the retention period required.
State Archives - The State Archives is the repository for state records of permanent value and serves as the central facility for historical research. Only permanent documents with historical value are stored in and become the intellectual custody of the State Archives. Agencies wanting to retain intellectual custody of their records need to store documents in the State Records Center commonly referred to as off-site storage.
Transmittal - The document that precedes a shipment of boxes to the Records Center. This document must be sent to the records analyst before the boxes are shipped. A copy of this document will be returned to the agency, with a Records Center number assigned to each box.