University of Missouri - Columbia Archives


Policy Number 13: Record Charge-Out Procedures


1. POLICY:

Under certain circumstances, records can be borrowed by the designated records manager in the office ("originating office") that originally deposited the records with Univeristy of Missouri Records Management or University Archives. All materials borrowed from the University Archives will be recorded on a Form UMC/ARCH 009, Charge-Out Record. The delivery and retrieval of the records to borrowers will be arranged by the Archives' staff; and the status of those charged-out materials will be reviewed on a regular basis. In all but the most extraordinary circumstances archival records charged out to the originating units and records checked back into Archives custody must be delivered to the Archives prior to being turned over to the department or returned to storage in the Records Center.

2. PURPOSE:

The Archives' primary responsibility is to preserve the official records of the University. To fulfill this responsibility and to provide accountability, it is essential that careful documentation be kept when lending records from the Archives' holdings to the originating office.

3. SCOPE:

This policy applies to all University of Missouri - Columbia Archives staff members.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES:

4-1. Ultimate approval for a request for loan of materials comes from the University Archivist.

4-2. The Archives' staff is responsible for arranging for delivery and retrieval of loaned materials, completing the appropriate documentation, and performing follow-up procedures.

5. DEFINITIONS:

5-1. Form UMC/ARCH 009 - Charge Out Record.

5-2. Charge-Out Notice - A sheet of instructions regarding the care responsibilities and return procedures for the records which is taped to boxes or envelopes of charged-out records before being delivered to the borrower.

6. PROCEDURES:

6-1. Approval from the University Archivist must be secured for any and all loans of records in the custody of University Archives.

6-2. After approval is given, Form UMC/ARCH 009, Charge Out Record must be completed. When the borrower is present they must sign the form. When the request has been made by e-mail or telephone, this should be noted on the form by the reference service provider.

6-3. After retrieving the records, staff makes certain that individual folders are marked with the collection number as well as the file folder number, box number, and the box location. If collections are not fully processed and thus do not have sequential folder numbers, each file folder within a box should be sequentially numbered on the file folder tab. This permits the staff member checking-in the records to check quickly for completeness. If material is stored at the Record Center, the records to be checked out to departments must be brought to the Archives before being delivered to the departments. Campus mail for delivery of Archives material is not permitted.

6-4. Before the records are delivered to the originating campus office or system unit, they must be carefully inspected and a Form UMC/ARCH 009, Charge Out Record prepared for the materials. A copy of the Charge-Out Notice is taped onto each box or envelope of records returned to a department. The records along with two copies of the Charge Out Record are hand delivered by Archives staff to the requesting unit. The Archives staff member secures the signature of the borrower or his/her delegate, gives one copy of the form to the person taking charge of the record, and returns the other signed form to the Archives. If records cannot be hand delivered to the requesting department by an Archives staff member, two copies of the Charge Out Record and a return envelope are sent with the records to the borrower. One copy is to be signed by the person requesting the records and returned to the University Archives, the second copy is for the requesting department's records. If the signed form is not returned to the Archives in two working days, the borrower is to be contacted by Archives staff.

6-5. The staff member delivering the records should always remind the borrower to notify the Archives when they are finished with the loaned material. Only Archives staff, not borrowers, should arrange for pick up of loaned Archives material.

6-6. When the Archives is notified by a department that it has charged-out materials to return, an Archives staff member will notify the Records Center that there is a refile that needs to be returned to the Archives. The staff member needs to inform the Records Center of the location of the boxes, the number of boxes, the name, address and phone number of the department contact person, and emphasize that these are refiles and they are to be returned to the University Archives.

6-7. When charged-out materials are returned to the Archives, they are carefully examined for completeness and the Charge Out Record modified to show the return and note any condition changes in the records. The sequential file folder numbers facilitate the check for completeness of the records when they are returned to the Archives and checked in. The modified Charge Out Record form is then removed from the active loan file and placed in the completed loan file.

6-8. When the charged-out materials are verified by the Archives and the materials have storage locations in the Archives, they are returned to their previous location. When the materials are normally housed in the Records Center, the Records Center is to be informed following the standard procedures that there are boxes of refiles ready for return to the Records Center.

6-9. Periodic review of the Charge Out Record forms is required to assure that loaned materials are returned to the Archives in a timely manner. The Reference Archivist contacts borrowers who have not returned material to verify the status of the materials. Notes regarding the contact are made on the Charge Out Record.

Return to the Table of Contents

7. APPENDICES:

7-1. MU Archives Charge Out Record, Form UMC/ARCH 009, completed.

7-2. MU Archives Box Return Instructions.

Revised: 22 April 2024

Copyright © Curators of the University of Missouri 1997-2005
Published by: University Archives muarchives.missouri.edu/
URL: https://muarchives.missouri.edu/man-p2.html

An equal opportunity/access/affirmative action/pro-disabled and veteran employer.
DMCA and other copyright information.