The dispositions in this schedule pertain to records created in typical circumstances; any unique situations may require consultation with the Archives and Information Management Team. The disposition actions described in the schedule apply only to inactive and semi-active records; active or working records should remain available and on-premises until they are no longer needed, at which time the instructions in the schedule are to be applied.
In some cases, sensitive personally identifiable information (sPII) can and should be redacted as soon as it is no longer needed, even if the entire record is scheduled for a longer period. sPII includes an individual's first and last name in combination with a Social Security number or personal Tax Identification Number; a driver’s license or government-issued identification number; a credit card number with or without an access code; a bank account number with or without a personal identification number (PIN) or password; or medical information. Contact the Archives and Information Management Team for additional information about redacting sPII on specific types of records.
See Transferring or Destroying Records for next steps in carrying out a disposition. See the glossary for definitions of many of the terms found in the schedules.
| Series Title | Series Description | Disposition | Likely Offices of Record |
| Calendars of Events | Calendars of events and other published schedules. | Originals: Transfer 2 copies to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OVS, Public affairs offices, Education offices |
| Committee Records | Pertaining to SI and unit committees. Materials include agendas, minutes, reports, by-laws, charters, and related materials. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Committee chairs |
| Conference and Symposia Records | Pertaining to conferences and symposia developed, sponsored, or hosted by SI. Materials include correspondence, invitations, websites, images, audiovisual recordings, logistical information, brochures, handouts, budget information, and ephemera. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Weed logistical information. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OET, Education offices, Programmatic offices, Other organizing units |
| Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) Records | Pertaining to COTR's interaction with the contractor and site representative. Materials include email and paper correspondence related to work authorizations, problems, delays, modifications, and terminations as well as reports and progress plans. | Originals: The COTR should work with the Contracting Officer to determine which records should become part of the permanent contract file maintained by OCon&PPM. Destroy records not required by OCon&PPM 6 years, 3 months after close of account. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | COTR |
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| Customer Surveys | Pertaining to surveys created to provide customer feedback for services provided. Materials include survey questions, responses, statistical analysis, and related materials. | Originals: Destroy when 3 years old or when no longer needed, whichever is later. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Customer service units |
| Departmental Files | Pertaining to the administration and activities of individual departments within a museum or other large unit. Materials include memoranda, reports, meeting materials, notes, and related materials. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Department heads/chairs, Administrators who oversee several departments |
| Director's Subject Files | Pertaining to the files of the Director and other upper-level staff of museums, research centers, and SI-wide programmatic and administrative offices. Materials include correspondence, email, memoranda, reports, meeting materials, professional activity files, notes, and related materials documenting overall administration of the unit, professional outreach, development, public affairs, and relations with other SI units and non-SI organizations. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Secretary, Under secretaries, Directors/deputy directors |
| Docent and Volunteer Personnel Records | Pertaining to management and training of docents and volunteers. Materials include applications, work schedules, time cards, projects, evaluations, and correspondence. | Originals: Destroy 6 years after separation of volunteer or docent. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OVS, Other docent/volunteer program coordinators |
| Docent and Volunteer Training Materials | Pertaining to the initial and ongoing training of docents and volunteers. Materials include training materials, handbooks, newsletters, and related materials. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OVS, Other docent/volunteer program coordinators |
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| Educational Program Files | Pertaining to in-person and online educational programs and activities. Materials include final products such as worksheets, teacher packets, handouts, flyers, program booklets, curricula, websites, and related materials. Materials also include program proposals, agreements, and significant correspondence. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Weed logistical information. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OET, Education offices, Programmatic offices |
| Educational Program Working Files | Pertaining to the planning and logistics of educational programs. Materials include routine correspondence, copies of accounting records and contracts, lists of attendees, notes, reference materials, drafts, and related materials. | Originals and Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OET, Education offices, Programmatic offices |
| Event Files (Planning) | Pertaining to the development and planning of special events. Materials include correspondence, memoranda, notes, planning documents, logistical files, sample invitations, guest lists, and ephemera. | Originals: Destroy when 10 years old. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OSEP, Special events offices/coordinators |
| Event Files (Recordings) | Photographic or audiovisual recordings of significant events and activities. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OSEP, Special events offices/coordinators, Central/unit public affairs offices, Education offices, Imaging units |
| Event Files (Major Events Planning) | Pertaining to the development and planning of significant events such as large exhibition openings, visits by major figures, or unique events. Materials include correspondence, invitations, remarks, ephemera, catering proposals, samples, logistical information, and mailing lists. | Originals: Significant correspondence, invitations, remarks, and ephemera - Transfer to Archives. All other materials - Destroy when 10 years old. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OSEP, Special events offices/coordinators |
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| Fellowship and Internship Records | Pertaining to the awarding of fellowships and internships. Materials include applications, resumes, agreements, correspondence, and project proposals. | Originals: Recommendations, Transcripts, and Declined Applications - Destroy when 10 years old. All Other Materials - Maintain in database. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OFI |
| Grant Accounting Records | Records of expenditures made using grant money. | Originals and Copies: Use disposition found for specific record types elsewhere in this schedule or disposition dictated by grant, whichever is longer. | OSP, Museum/research center administrative units, Principal investigators |
| Grant Administrative Records | Pertaining to the administration of grants, awards, and other outside funding for education, research, and exhibitions. Materials include correspondence, memoranda, contract information, grant requests, closeout checklists, biographical information, and authorizations. | Originals and Copies: Destroy 3 years after close of grant. | OSP, Museum/research center administrative units, Principal investigators |
| Grant Records | Pertaining to the application for and fulfillment of grants, awards, and other outside funding for education, research, and exhibitions. Materials include proposals, project award notifications, reports, final products, correspondence, and memoranda. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Principle investigators |
| Information Files | Reference files on research topics and publications. | Originals and Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Curators, Museum specialists, Scientists, Education offices |
| Policies and Handbooks | Policy statements, directives, and handbooks, as well as supporting documentation of their development. Supporting documentation includes correspondence, memoranda, meeting notes, and reports. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OPMB, Central administrative offices, Other units issuing policies and handbooks |
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| Professional Activities Files | Pertaining to professional conferences, symposia, and workshops in which staff formally participated as a speaker or organizer. Materials include papers, lecture materials, photographs of colleagues, conference programs, correspondence, agendas, minutes, proceedings, and related materials. Materials related to conferences in which staff only participated as an attendee are not considered to be institutional records and are not subject to disposition requirements. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Weed logistical and travel files. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Individual staff |
| Publication Records | Pertaining to materials created during the production of a publication. Materials include manuscripts, drafts, proofs, galleys, layouts, editor's files, correspondence, memoranda, camera-ready art, and accounting files. | Originals and Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Publications offices, Education offices, Public affairs offices |
| Publications | Regular and special publications, in paper or electronic form, published by SI units. This includes magazines, newsletters, brochures, annual reports, and other published materials. | Originals: Transfer 2 copies to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Publications offices, Education offices, Public affairs offices, Curatorial offices, Programmatic offices |
| Rights and Reproduction Permissions (Granted) | Permissions granted by SI for use of SI images by non-SI individuals and organizations. Materials include correspondence and related materials. | Originals: Destroy when 7 years old. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | Museum imaging departments, Curatorial offices, Registrar/collections management offices, Archival units, SIL |
| Rights and Reproduction Permissions (Received) | Permissions received by SI for the use of non-SI images, writings, and other materials in SI publications, productions, and exhibitions. | Originals: Maintain permanently in unit. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed or according to unit policy. | Publications offices, Curatorial offices, Education offices |
| Visitor Comments | Pertaining to visitor feedback. Materials include forms, surveys, and comment books as well as statistics or reports created based upon the comments and formal responses to comments. | Originals: Transfer to Archives. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OVS, Public affairs offices, Education offices, Curatorial offices, Directors/deputy directors |
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| Website Records | Pertaining to unit's websites as well as its official presence on social networking sites. Materials include websites, blogs, feeds, profiles, and related materials as well as documentation about the websites. | Originals: Public websites and blogs to be periodically crawled by Archives. Social media accounts and intranets will be individually appraised by Archives based upon content. Copies and defunct websites: Consult with Archives. | Webmasters, Social media practitioners, Other staff responsible for maintaining websites |
| Website Statistics | Statistical reports pertaining to website and social media traffic. | Originals: Transfer reports documenting long-term trends to Archives for permanent retention. Weed reports documenting short-term trends. Copies: Destroy when no longer needed. | OCIO, Webmasters, Social media practitioners |
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