EMAIL FAQ

A. Electronic mail is just as much a record as any traditional paper record and must be treated in the same way. It is the content of each message that is important. If a particular message would have been filed as a paper memo, it should still be filed (either in your email program or in your regular directory structure), and it should be retained the same length of time as its paper counterpart. It is inappropriate to destroy email simply because storage limits have been reached. Review your schedule for the types of records in your email and follow the disposition instructions. Electronic records are not currently being accepted for transfer to the University Archives, so any email that should be transferred should be printed and transferred in paper format.

Three publications will be particularly helpful and can be found on our website:

• E-Mail as a Public Record in North Carolina: Guidelines for its Retention and Disposition
• E-Mail User Guidelines Checklist
• North Carolina Public Records with Short-Term Value: Guidelines for their Retention and Disposition

You may want to attend our workshop, Email Management at UNC-CH, for more information about how to properly manage your email.

A. If the email is not part of a records series that will be transferred to the University Archives, you may elect to keep it in electronic format. Any email that should be transferred to the University Archives should be printed with header information and transferred in paper format.

A. The best practice is to avoid using personal resources, including private email accounts, for public business. G.S. 132-1 states that records "made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency of North Carolina government or its subdivisions" are public records. The fact that public records reside in a personal email account is irrelevant. Likewise, you should limit the use of a public (UNC System) email account for personal email.

Back to FAQ

Back to Records Management Home