Resources for Records Management

Hurricane Helene has caused devastating impacts across Western North Carolina. Our thoughts are with all of the communities affected by this disaster.

If you have experienced damage to public records, please reach out to Kayla Leonard, Essential Records Analyst, at (336) 880-8411 or call the State Records Center at (919) 814-6900 for additional information or help with next steps.

The State Archives also has resources available to help with disaster recovery on their website. These resources include initial steps to take prior to records recovery, a disaster inventory log, and a selected list of disaster recovery vendors. Inclusion of a vendor on this list does not represent an endorsement of that vendor by the State Archives of North Carolina

North Carolina General Statutes 121 and 132 direct our agency to provide and administer records management services to state and local government and to public colleges and universities. We fulfill that mandate through the Government Services Section of the State Archives. By issuing guidance and best practice documents, creating records retention schedules and providing workshops, online tutorials and other forms of training to state and local officials, the Government Services Section leads record management efforts in North Carolina.

The resources covered below are geared toward records managers and other employees across various state and local agencies who help us do this important to work to preserve North Carolina history and ensure transparency in government. If you're looking for help on preserving papers in your family's collections, try the conservation assistance section of our site and if you're interested in doing general research at the State Archives, check out the Archives' information for general visitors.

A Vast Array of Resources from the State Archives

Looking for a specific policy or document? Start with the box to the right, where we've called out four of the most requested documents.

Want advice on how to best preserve digital resources or need an overview of the laws and regulations that cover the practice of public records management? The State Archives and State Library have grouped policies, best practices documents, training materials and other tools together around certain subject areas and by type. Check out the tiles below to start exploring what they have to offer.

Keep in mind the resources highlighted here are just a subset of the materials and services offered by the State Archives. Visit the For Government section of the State Archives website for more.

Visit the Government Records Section’s Website

Records Retention and Disposition Schedules

Retention schedules give an assessment of the value of different records value by indicating when (and if) those records should be destroyed.

Services and Training

Learn more about the records management services offered by the State Archives and the training available online and in person.

Guidance on Digital Records

Policies, training and tips related to the preservation of the preservation of email, websites, digital signatures, social media and other digital records.

Digital Preservation Information

The preservation of digital records is the responsibility of all public employees. Check out these tips on saving electronic records from the State Library.

Forms

Request changes to a records schedule, ask for archived records to be retrieved from the State Records Center, read the State Records Center handbook and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the questions our government records staff receive the most, including everything from what a public records is to where specific materials can be found.

G.S. 132 Files Blog

Keep up to date on news, events, and training opportunities offered by the State Records Center.

TOMES Project

The Transforming Online Mail with Embedded Semantics (TOMES) project seeks to identify email accounts of public officials with enduring value in order to capture, preserve and provide access to important government records.

Need Help?

Looking for a specific document, retention schedule or policy? Need guidance on how to handle a certain type of record? The staff of the Government Records Section is here to help. Both a staff directory and a list of frequently asked questions covering everything from the definition of a public record to how authorized records should destroyed are available on the section's website.