Records Management & Retention Flashcards
7 cards from real CMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Records Management & Retention flashcards as text
Under NARA standards, what is the primary purpose of a records retention schedule?
Answer: To establish the length of time records must be kept and their final disposition
A retention schedule defines how long each record series must be kept and whether it should be destroyed or transferred to archives at the end of its lifecycle.
A municipal clerk receives a litigation hold notice. Which action is most appropriate?
Answer: Immediately suspend destruction of all records potentially relevant to the litigation
A litigation hold requires suspending scheduled destruction of any records that may be relevant to pending or reasonably anticipated litigation.
Which federal law most directly governs electronic records management for local governments receiving federal funds?
Answer: OMB Circular A-130
OMB Circular A-130 establishes policy for managing federal information resources, including electronic records, and applies to recipients of federal funds.
What does 'vital records' mean in the context of municipal records management?
Answer: Records essential to resume operations after a disaster
Vital records are those essential to resuming government operations following a disaster, such as financial records, property records, and personnel files.
A city clerk needs to migrate paper records to a digital format. What must be done to ensure legal admissibility of the digital copies?
Answer: Follow ANSI/AIIM imaging standards and document the scanning process
Following ANSI/AIIM standards and maintaining documentation of the scanning process ensures digitized records meet legal admissibility requirements.
Which retention category applies to records that document governmental policy decisions of lasting historical significance?
Answer: Permanent records
Records documenting major policy decisions and governmental actions of historical significance are classified as permanent records and must be preserved indefinitely.
A municipal clerk discovers a box of unlisted records with no retention schedule entry. What is the best first step?
Answer: Identify the records series and request a schedule amendment from the state archives
Unscheduled records should be identified and submitted to the appropriate records authority to determine the proper retention period before any disposition occurs.