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Storage of physical records

The document identifier for this guidance is 16/F13 v.2 and it was approved in August 2024.

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Information and records are at the core of business and are a key strategic asset. Section 17 of the Public Records Act 2005 (the Act) states that:

• a public office must maintain all public information and records that it controls

• a local authority must maintain all protected information and records that it controls.

Physical information and records may include, for example:

• paper files and documents

• volumes and registers

• maps, plans, charts and drawings

• photographic media such as photographic prints and negatives, film, microforms, and x-rays

• magnetic media such as digital tape, video and audio cassettes

• optical media such as CDs and DVDs.

All information and records must be maintained in an accessible form so that they can be used and reused in the future. Information and records must be kept until their disposal is authorised under the Act or the provisions in another Act.

As your public sector organisation’s information and records are important business assets, they must be managed carefully. Their storage is a key element in this management records. To meet legal obligations for your organisation’s physical information and records, you must make decisions and take action to ensure that their storage protects them from unauthorised or illegal access, alteration, loss, deletion and destruction.

To manage the storage of your organisation’s information and records, you should develop a storage plan that covers all types of information and records and where they are located. Ensure your information and records are secure and accessible and can be maintained. Storage plans should consider the following:

• identification and control of your information and records

• location and buildings

• environmental controls

• shelving and packaging

• ongoing maintenance

• security

• business continuity.

For further guidance on storing public and local authority archives, the Chief Archivist has issued two instructions under the Act. These detail how local authorities must store and preserve protected information and records which are local authority archives, and how approved repositories must maintain public archives in their care.