1. Policy and Financial Management

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Minutes of the Board of Regents and its committees, sub-committees, and special ad hoc bodies
     
   • Documentation regarding Smithsonian policy development and creation
     
   • Final budget proposals and submissions
     
   • Budget planning, advocacy and final appropriations
     
   • Records of endowment earnings
     
   • Records of bequests, estates, wills, deeds of gift, and other real properties
     
   • Samples of Standard Forms
     
   • Annual financial reports

   Type of records NOT of enduring value include:
   

   • Accounting working files (e.g., bank statements, canceled checks, and cuff files)
     
   • Chronological Administrative Files (if significant information is documented elsewhere)
     

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Board of Regents
     
   • Office of the Secretary
     
   • Secretariat (Counselors to Secretary)
   • Office of the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Science
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Art
   • Office of the Chief Financial Officer
     
   • Office of Planning, Management, and Budget
     
   • Office of the Comptroller
   • Office of Policy and Analysis
     
   • Office of the Treasurer
     
   • Office of Government Relations
     
   • Museum/Unit Directors (for budgets)
     
   • Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center
     
   • Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Accounting Office
   • Smithsonian Business Ventures

2. Human Resources

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Unit Directors' policy, planning and management files, including employee training initiatives, and the implementation of applicable laws and guidelines regarding human resource activities
     
   • Documentation of advertisement and recruitment of research staff
     
   • Selection committee minutes and reports
     
   • Announcements of selections
   • Trust Fund personnel records
     
   • Smithsonian-produced manuals (final products), and lists of training materials

   Type of records NOT of enduring value include:

   • Equal Employment Opportunity case files
   • Time and Attendance Files
   • Non-Smithsonian manuals
     
   • Manual production files (research and information files, drafts)

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Office of Human Resources
     
   • Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Office of Human Resources
     
   • Office of Equal Employment and Minority Affairs
     
   • Office of the Ombudsman
     
   • Office of Safety and Environmental Management
     
   • Office of the Secretary
     
   • Office of the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Science
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Art
     
   • Museum Directors

3. Facilities Management and Safety

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Design and construction files for major construction and renovation projects
     
   • Annual security incident reports
     
   • Horticultural design and development files
     
   • Records of interaction with applicable municipal and federal agencies
     
   • Documentation of planning and decision-making concerning construction and renovation, including funding and architectural competitions

   Types of records NOT of enduring value include:

   • Facility Services Requests

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations
     
   • Offices of Division Directors under OFEO
     
   • Office of Contracting
     
   • Office of the Treasurer
     
   • Office of the Secretary
     
   • Secretariat (Counselors to Secretary)
     
   • Museum Directors
   • National Zoological Park, Police Department

4. Public Programs and Development

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Documentation regarding Smithsonian policy, planning and development for public programs, national and international museum community outreach (e.g., National Museum Act), audience development and fund-raising
     
   • Publications, including significant newsletters, magazines and reports
     
   • Selected websites chosen according to importance and uniqueness
     
   • Smithsonian-wide and unit-level press information, including press releases, press kits and packages, public service announcements
     
   • Press coverage, including news and broadcast clips
     
   • Summaries of visitor services activities
     
   • Visitor statistical reports
     
   • Summaries of planning, execution and success of membership campaigns, including event files for significant events, ephemera, correspondence, and meeting minutes
     
   • Summaries of planning, execution and success of fund-raising campaigns, including event files for significant events, ephemera, correspondence, and meeting minutes
     
   • Summaries of demographic analyses and membership plans
     
   • Documentation regarding significant Smithsonian-wide and unit-level events and programs, including their planning, production and public and participant responses
     
   • Documentation regarding significant campus-wide groups and organizations, including charters, annual reports; Directors' and Committee Chairs' records (including correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, etc.), final drafts of papers or speeches (unpublished), meeting minutes, photographs of significant events and people, program files (including correspondence, memoranda, email, interim and final reports pertaining to the planning, development, and execution of programs), organization newsletters (2 copies each), summary financial reports (including audit reports, and annual reports), summary membership data and annual member publications
   
   Types of records NOT of enduring value include:
   
   • Intern and participant files, including applications and agreements
     
   • Membership renewal forms
     
   • Pledges
     
   • Gift and Prospect Listings
     
   
   Offices expected to produce archival records include:
   
   • Office of the Secretary
     
   • Office of the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer
     
   • Office of Policy and Analysis
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Science
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Art
     
   • Museum Directors
     
   • The Smithsonian Associates
     
   • Office of Public Affairs
     
   • Museum public affairs and external affairs offices
     
   • Office of Development
     
   • Museum membership and development offices
     
   • Smithsonian Press
     
   • Smithsonian Magazine
     
   • Temporary offices for major and/or pan-institutional projects and exhibitions
     
   • Visitor Information and Associates' Reception Center
     
   • Smithsonian Photographic Services
     
   • Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
     
   • Museum education offices

5. Institutional Information Management

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Documentation regarding Smithsonian policy, planning and development for significant information technology systems, programs and special projects
     
   • Policy and guidelines for archival and records management
     
   • Documentation of management and use of Smithsonian records
     
   • Documentation of significant information resource programs and services for Smithsonian staff
     
   • Policy and guidelines for use of services by Smithsonian staff
     
   • Summary reports of Smithsonian information service and use

   Types of records NOT of enduring value include:

   • Reference requests and responses
     
   • Rights and reproduction files
     
   • Maintenance files for computer systems

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Office of the Secretary
     
   • Office of the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Science
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Art
     
   • Office of the Chief Information Officer
     
   • Museum information technology offices
     
   • Smithsonian Institution Archives
     
   • Smithsonian Photographic Services
     
   • Museum Directors
     
   • Smithsonian Institution Libraries
     
   • National Anthropological Archives (regarding official Smithsonian records)
     

6. Legal Management

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Records documenting overall SI legal business and activities (central reading files of OGC)
     
   • Litigation case files of significance (including court records) which document legal precedence, SI procedures and policies, SI legal obligations and mandates, or the legal status of the Smithsonian
     
   • Records of gifts, bequests, deeds, wills and estates
     
   • Legal records concerning special projects, programs, policies or other initiatives
     
   • Legal records concerning the discontinuance of programs, bureaus, museums, or other initiatives
     
   • Records of standards of conduct and conflicts of interest
     
   • Records regarding legislation and legislative history of concern to SI
     
   • Legal records regarding discrimination in hiring and employment
     
   • Legal opinions, advice and assistance
     
   • Records concerning SI copyrights, patents, trademarks and licenses

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Office of the Secretary
   • Office of the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Science
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Art
     
   • Office of the General Counsel
     
   • Office of Contracting
     
   • Museum/Unit Directors

7. Institutional Assessment

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Records which document the conduct of business in a bureau or office.
     
   • Special project records, where applicable.
     
   • Audits

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Office of the Secretary
   • Office of the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Science
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Art
     
   • Office of Inspector General
     
   • Museum/Unit Directors

B. Acquiring and Maintaining the National Collections

1. Acquisition of Collections

   SIA will archive only the inactive files pertaining to the acquisition of collections and specimens. Active files should be maintained by the office of use.

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Documentation of the Smithsonian's legal rights to the collection
     
   • Records of bequests
     
   • Acknowledgments of transfer and receipt
     
   • Deeds of gift
     
   • Loan records
     
   • Records of transfer for collection use in exhibitions
     
   • Accession and deaccession files
     
   • Library acquisition files
     
   • Final versions of collecting policies for Smithsonian units
     
   • Final versions of accession policies for Smithsonian units
     
   • Annual statistical reports of acquisitions
     
   • Correspondence and memoranda regarding the acquisition of collections
     
   • Documentation of collecting committees and other bodies which implement collecting policies
     
   • Collection Information Systems

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Registrarial offices
     
   • Curatorial offices
     
   • Museum Directors
     
   • Office of the General Counsel
     
   • Office of the Secretary
     
   • National Collections Program
     
   • Collection committees
     
   • Smithsonian Institution Libraries
     
   • Smithsonian Institution Archives
     
   • Special Collections Archives
     

2. Conservation and Preservation of Collections

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Documentation of preservation and conservation planning and decision-making
     
   • Preservation and conservation policies and training
     
   • Documentation of grant and other funding for preservation and conservation of collections
     
   • Curatorial correspondence and summary reports concerning processing and physical care of collections, including facilities and holdings maintenance.
     
   • Condition reports
     
   • Treatment reports
     
   • Conservation and treatment photographs
   • Certain animal records

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Registrarial offices
     
   • Collection managers
     
   • Conservation laboratories
     
   • Office of Sponsored Projects
     
   • Museum membership and development offices
     
   • Curatorial offices
     
   • Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education
     
   • National Zoological Park, Department of Animal Health

3. Intellectual Control of Collections

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Documentation and metadata describing Collection Information Systems and bibliographic systems
     
   • Curatorial correspondence and research and field notes concerning description and research of collections
     
   • Photographs and scientific illustrations of collections
     
   • Final reports in development process, summary proposals and needs assessments
     
   • Awarded contracts
   • Committee minutes documenting development

   Type of records NOT of enduring value include:

   • Data survey worksheets

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Registrarial offices
     
   • Curatorial offices
     
   • Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian Institution Research Information System
   • Collection managers

C. Conducting and Supporting Original Research

1. Research

   Types of records of enduring value, regardless of media, include:

   • Field/lab/research notes/photographs/illustrations/film footage
     
   • Correspondence with colleagues pertaining to research and collections
     
   • Research reports, including content based editorial comments/notes/correspondence
     
   • Unpublished manuscripts (final draft), including content based editorial comments/notes/correspondence
     
   • Nomenclature lists and notes
     
   • Professional activities files, including photos of colleagues, ephemera (e.g., program – not registration forms and logistics), professional conferences, symposia, and workshops attended in support of original research, papers presented including lectures, slides/photographs
     
   • Departmental records regarding departmental research planning
     
   • Raw data – data should reside in the department for use there (NOTE: If raw data is found among personal papers, determine if it is associated with SI collections. If so, consult with the department to gain a clear understanding of the significance of the data). Case by case appraisal.

   Types of records NOT of enduring value:

   • Manuscript drafts of published articles/papers/research results
     
   • Information files
     
   • Registration forms, logistical correspondence, and travel
     
   • Standard requisitions
     
   • Published results
     
   • Reprints
     
   • Routine correspondence
     
   • Plates and photographs used in publications

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Curatorial offices
     
   • Museum/Unit Directors (level to which researchers report)
     
   • Editorial offices (e.g., Peale Papers, Joseph Henry Papers, etc.)

2. Support and Funding for Research

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Research funding proposals
     
   • Contacts with donors/sponsors
     
   • Progress reports
     
   • Technical reports
     
   • Final research reports
     
   • Correspondence
     
   • Audits
     
   • Summaries of grant/funding activity
     
   • Statistical overviews of Smithsonian fellowship activities
     
   • Fellowship proposals
     
   • Review committee minutes and reports at level of funding office or organization
     
   • Peer level review committee minutes, reports, memoranda and correspondence
     
   • Final grants
     
   • Significant departmental memoranda and minutes

   Types of records NOT of enduring value:

   • General inquiries

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Office of Sponsored Projects
     
   • Curatorial offices
     
   • Office of Fellowships and Grants
     
   • Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Office of Contracts and Procurement
     
   • Museum/Unit Directors
     
   • Office of Development
     
   • Editorial offices (e.g., Peale Papers, Joseph Henry Papers, etc.)

3. Evaluation or Review of Research

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Professional Activities and Evaluation Committee (PAEC) files
     
   • Review committee minutes and reports

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Curatorial offices
     
   • Museum/Unit Directors
     
   • Office of Sponsored Projects

D. Diffusing Knowledge

1. Exhibitions

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Exhibition Proposals
     
   • Exhibition Committee Meetings
     
   • Correspondence
     
   • Installation Photos
     
   • Contracts
     
   • Checklists
     
   • Lender Files
     
   • Facilities Reports
     
   • Exhibition Research Files, documenting curatorial activities, such as analysis, interpretation, and development of the content of the exhibition (e.g., annotated articles, notes)
     
   • Exhibition Scripts (final, unless controversial)
     
   • Exhibition Catalogs
     
   • Summary exhibition funding and budget information
     
   • Exhibition floor plans
     
   • Educational information to support the exhibition
     
   • Visitor Comments
     
   • Press Reviews
     
   • Newspaper Clippings
     
   • Press Releases
     
   • Ephemera (rack cards, brochures, postcards)
     
   • Original loan agreements

   Types of records NOT of enduring value include:

   • Purchase orders
     
   • Requisition forms
     
   • Photographic images of single objects
     
   • Drafts of scripts (unless controversial)
     
   • Duplicate loan agreements
     
   • Duplicate condition reports
     
   • Insurance and shipping invoices and statements
     
   • Internal memoranda about general administrative issues
     
   • Information files (e.g., copies of articles and newspaper clippings, samples used solely as reference source, bibliographies, note cards)

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Curatorial offices
     
   • Registrarial offices
     
   • Museum Directors
     
   • Office of Exhibits Central
     
   • Museum exhibit offices
     
   • Temporary offices for major and/or pan-institutional projects and exhibitions
     
   • Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service
     
   • Museum design and production offices
     
   • Museum education offices
     
   • Museum public affairs offices
     
   • Office of Public Affairs
     
   • Office of the Secretary
   • Office of the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Science
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Art

2. Productions

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Documentation of production planning and development
     
   • Annual summaries of production activities
     
   • Curriculum packets from significant education programs
     
   • Press/publication catalogs
     
   • Policies and correspondence about promotion and advertising
     
   • Record copies of designated core productions, examples include:
     
     • Record copies of Smithsonian Press publications
       
     • Record copies of Smithsonian magazines and newsletters
       
     • Record copies of Smithsonian Research Reports
       
     • Record copies of Smithsonian Torch
       
     • Record copies of The Associate
       
     • Record copies of The Blue Bulletin
       
     • Selected websites chosen according to importance and uniqueness

   Types of records NOT of enduring value include:

   • Manuscript drafts and notes for published materials that contain only editorial (grammatical) comments
     
   • Correspondence and notes pertaining to the actual production of publication
     
   • Plates and photographs used in publication

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Smithsonian Press
     
   • Office of Public Affairs
     
   • Smithsonian Magazine
     
   • Air & Space Magazine
   • Office of the Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer
     
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Science
   • Office of the Under Secretary for Art
     
   • Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
     
   • Museum education offices
   • Smithsonian webmasters and website development committees

3. Events

   Types of records of enduring value include:

   • Documentation of significant event planning and development (large exhibition openings, visits by major figures, unique events, e.g., Secretary's Inauguration, 150th Birthday Party, etc.)
     
   • Annual summaries of significant event activities
     
   • Photographs of significant events
     
   • Video or audio recordings of significant events
     
   • Significant event texts (e.g., transcripts) to speeches, lectures, and other presentations
     
   • Accepted final proposals
     
   • Final reports
     
   • Committee meeting minutes
     
   • Ephemera (programs, invitations, brochures)
     
   • Guest/Participation lists
     
   • Schedules, agendas, and itineraries to significant events
   • Newspaper clippings

   Types of records NOT of enduring value include:

   • Caterer lists
     
   • Purchase orders
   • Vendor lists and information
   • Requisition forms
   • Menus
   • Floor and seating plans
   • Bids and quotations
   • Notes
   • Routine memoranda and correspondence with vendor

   Offices expected to produce archival records include:

   • Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies
   • Museum education offices
     
   • Office of Special Events and Conference Services
     
   • Museum special events offices
     
   • Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Heritage
     
   • The Smithsonian Associates
     
   • Office of Development
     
   • Office of the Secretary
     
   • Museum Directors
     
   • Office of Public Affairs
     
   • Museum public affairs offices
     
   • Smithsonian Photographic Services
     
   • Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education

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