ECU University Records Management: Using the Records Center

For a number of years, the Joyner Library Records Center provided storage for department and office records regardless of whether they were scheduled for destruction, for permanent retention in the office of origin, or for eventual transfer to the University Archives. Currently, the Records Center houses selected records that have long or permanent retention periods under the General Schedule.

Sending Records to the Records Center

There is no charge for storing records in the Records Center, but permission must be obtained from the Records Management Officer before records are sent and the department or unit's records management liaison must have completed a face-to-face training session on using the Records Center. If your department does not have a liaison, please contact the University Records Manager to name the liaison and set up training.

Confidential records must be clearly marked. Confidential records are kept in a caged, locked area. Records in the Records Center remain the property of the office of origin until they are transferred to the University Archives for permanent retention or destroyed in accordance with the proper records disposition instructions.

Only authorized staff or the records management liaison from the office of origin may request the retrieval of records while they are stored in the Records Center. Requests for records transfers not from the office of origin are referred to the office of origin. The office of origin will then make the request should the request be deemed appropriate. Boxes must be requested by accession number. Files will NOT be removed from the box by Records Center staff. 

Access to the Records Center is restricted, walk-in requests will be denied. It is the responsibility of the office of origin to maintain its own inventory of records in the Records Center. Holdings reports are available upon request, but will only display the accession number and limited information sent by the office of origin.

Making a Retrieval Request

1. You must be a liaison and have an account for Versatile Web Professional. Requests should include the office of origin, the accession numbers of the boxes needed, the beginning and dates, and list of known contents.
2. Tell us whether you plan to view the contents of the boxes onsite (Joyner Library University History and Records Department, 3rd floor) or take them to your office. When possible, records management will deliver boxes to your office.
3. To return material to the Records Center, please contact us in advance to make arrangements.

It is the responsibility of the office of origin to know if the records requested contain sensitive material and to handle the method of retrieval from and return to the Records Center appropriately.