Records Management

For some time now various departments and parishes have contacted the Chancery for guidance in dealing with their records. In particular, they want to know what should be kept and for how long. As a result, the Archives Department of the Archdiocese of Atlanta was reorganized in January of 2008 and has become the Office of Archives and Records. The responsibilities of the Office were expanded by the Chancellor. In addition to its duties of preserving permanent archival records and materials, the Office also systematically manages the ever-growing bulk of operational records that are created in a multitude of formats throughout the Archdiocese. The first step in gaining control over records is the establishment of standards, such as policies and procedures.

Even though records are often thought of as a necessary evil, it is important to value them since the Archdiocese is exposed to high risk when records are not managed in a timely manner. Implementation of the Records Program will take time and patience. Not all the pieces of the workflow plan are in place as of yet. The Records Retention Schedule itself will change over time as the organization changes. The Records Policies and Procedures became effective on August 1, 2008, and were revised January 20, 2011.