Auburn Montgomery Library

Records Management

Overview

As a public university, AUM must comply with records retention schedules that have been established by the State of Alabama. The Archives & Special Collections unit has been designated as the University Liaison to the State Records Commission by the Chancellor's Office to ensure that AUM maintains compliance with these practices. The Public Universities of Alabama-Records Disposition Authority, created by the State Records Commission with members of public universities in Alabama, is the primary document used on campus to identify how long certain records should be kept. These retention schedules have been created to protect the University from litigation and other instances where documentary evidence may be necessary. Following established records management practices and participating in regular campus-wide record purges will help departments and offices valuable time and free up space, and will save the University as a whole from unnecessary costs. Please consider these guidelines when handling University records: Before destroying any records, a Records Disposition Form must be completed and send to Archives & Special Collections for approval. This will ensure that the records have past the scheduled retention date required by the state and federal governments. Archives & Special Collections actively collects materials that document the history of AUM. If you come across items that you think may be of interest to us, contact the Archives via email.

Shredding Services

AUM maintains a contract with a bulk shredding service that visits the campus every 4-6 weeks. If your department/office routinely destroys records containing sensitive personal information about faculty, staff, or students - you may request to have a shredding bin delivered to your location. The bins are locked and will store records securely in between scheduled visits. There is a fee for having a bin emptied each time that will be billed to your department/office. Contact Archives & Special Collections for more information. If your department/office needs to purge a large quantity of records on a one-time basis, this can also be done when the shredding vendor visits the campus. There is a per box charge for this service. Contact Archives & Special Collections for more information. Please remember that a Records Disposition Form must be completed before destroying any University records. 

Records Disposition Form

The Records Disposition Form needs to be completed whenever a department/office destroys University records created as a function of their daily operations. Use the AUM General Records Schedule listed below to find the proper title for the records to be disposed. Include the record titles, the quantity, and number of boxes for each item. Once the form has been completed, return it to:
Samantha McNeilly/Archives & Special Collections
802 Library Tower

You will receive a signed copy of the form back within a few days. Please do not destroy any records until receiving a signed copy of the form. There may be special instructions included on the form. Archives & Special Collections may also contact you if there are items listed on the form that we are interested in retaining for permanent preservation.

Records Transmittal Form

Use the Records Transmittal Form for transferring records to Archives & Special Collections either for bulk shredding by our vendor, or materials to be stored for permanent preservation. Arrangements should be made in advance with us prior to completing this form or transferring materials. Once the form has been completed, return it to:
Samantha McNeilly/Archives & Special Collections
802 Library Tower
Once we have received the form, you will be contacted to make arrangements for transferring the materials.
Download the Records Transmittal Form  (PDF format)