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Re: retention schedule for researcher correspondence



>Fellow Archivists, would anyone on the list be willing to share with me
how
>long they keep researcher correspondence. I would imagine that
institutions
>do not keep these records permanently.

We use the research requests and responses as the basis of our vertical
file.  Organized by subject, we use it as a quick reference resource. 
We're now up to 25+ 5-drawer file cabinets.  It's a very practical way to
avoid having to research the same question twice, and streamlines the more
routine research requests.  The vertical file also contains
newspaper/journal clippings (photocopied on acid free paper)  and other
ephemera that adds to the overall utility of the files.  

We're selective in what we keep permanently (it's surprising how many 
questions about Lincoln have been asked at some point between 1929 and the
present), and then we're mostly interested in access to our responses to
researchers.  We keep current year plus 1 (or until we know we're caught up
with the vertical file maintenance) for the bulk of research requests -
again, most of which are for repeat / more routine questions .    Also,
about half of our research requests are for image reproductions (photo
prints) which we retain for current year + 1.  We just keep a more
abbreviated report on where our images have been published, which images
get the most requests, etc.

I've found that the vertical file is a very efficient way to keep from
reinventing responses to research requests, and gives us a solid place to
start.   I have plans to eventually add MARC records to our Horizon
database for at least the larger subject categories, adding standard
headings (LCSH, AAT, etc.) so that we can integrate searches with the rest
of the collection (books, photos, prints, paintings, sculpture, artifacts,
etc.).

Carolyn Texley
Dir. of Collections & Archivist
The Lincoln Museum

email:  ctexley@LNC.com
phone:  219-455-3031

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