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The Guide to Archiving Presbytery Records was developed in 2018 by the Archives Staff Circle as a result of United Church of Canada’s move to a three-court structure.
The guide can also be downloaded for user convenience.
Guide to Archiving Conference Records (PDF, 168 KB)
As of December 31, 2018, Conferences will formally close. The records they created and used are considered final. They should not be altered, edited or amended.
This guide was prepared to assist Conferences in managing their hardcopy and electronic records as they wind down their operations. Please contact your Regional Council Archivist if you have questions or require additional information.
Conference records in hardcopy form should be reviewed to determine if they should be sent to the Conference Archives for permanent retention, sent to the incoming regional council for reference with respect to ongoing business, or securely destroyed.
Some Conference records exist in electronic format only (e.g., word processed documents, PowerPoint presentations). The Records Centre (RC) Transition Portal has been created for securely storing electronic Conference records which may need to be referenced by regional councils. All records uploaded to the Transition Portal should be considered a reference copy only (read-only, unaltered) to be used by regional councils for ongoing work. More information on electronic records is found below.
The following steps are recommended in preparing hardcopy Conference records to be sent to the appropriate Conference Archives:
Not all documents created or collected within a Conference environment are “records” of the Conference. That is, they do not serve to document functions, policies, decisions, procedures or operations or other activities of the Conference. These records include:
In some cases, the records identified as “archival” will have been created electronically, as word-processed document files, digital photos, audio or video files, or databases. At the present time, the Conference Archives cannot accept digital versions of Conference minutes, reports, correspondence, membership, financial, property, legal, or other official records. Please ensure that all necessary documents have been printed and filed, in accordance with United Church guidelines.
Certain digital records—including photos, audio and video files—present special challenges for archives, whether they are transferred in their original electronic form, printed on paper, or carried on disks, cassette tapes, or other containers. If you have records like these, please consult with the Conference Archivist at the earliest opportunity to ensure the appropriate preservation measures can be taken.
Records to upload to the Portal include:
Do not upload the following, but discuss these items with your Conference archivist:
Not all records are archival and do not need to kept permanently. Certain records can be destroyed after holding them for a particular time period, as indicated in the recommended retention period shown above. In addition, drafts and duplicate copies of documents do not need to be kept.
Once these records no longer need to be retained, they must be carefully disposed of under controlled conditions. Any paper records containing personal or confidential information (including duplicate copies) should be shredded or destroyed by other permanent means. Such records should not be simply recycled, as the information could be identified and distributed to other places and/or sources. Electronic records designated for destruction should also be deleted from all computer drives and other portable devices.
The following chart was developed to assist Conferences in identifying which records are archival and which are not. The chart also provides direction on how long to retain non-archival records before they can be destroyed. If there are any documents or items that are not on this list and you are not sure what to do with them, please contact your Conference Archivist.
Retain all historical versions
General: for routine matters, e.g., requests for basic information, referrals to other sources
<ul> <li>Retention Period: Destroy after 3 years</li> </ul>
Substantive: dealing with legal or other important matters, potential value for historical research on policy or issues, etc.
Includes appendixes and attachment to the minutes (i.e. correspondence, reports, etc. tabled at the presbytery minutes); ensure the minutes have been signed and reviewed.
According to the Income Tax Act certain records must be retained for a specified period of time (usually seven years). Ensure these records are securely stored and accessible by regional council staff.
Please consult the Conference Personnel Minister or the Conference Archivist for guidance.