The Personal Documents You Should Be Shredding

It doesn’t take long to build up a collection of paper and receipts chock full of your personal info, while you may get the urge to throw all of the documents out (or cleanse with fire), the more secure (and safer) option is to shred. The next question you might ask is “what do I shred?” Keep reading and you’ll see how you can cut down on all that paper clutter:

What to Shred:

• Anything that has personal info (your name, phone number, address, social security number, or bank account info)
• ATM receipts
• Bills
• Credit card receipts
• Used airline tickets
• Expired credit cards, visas, passports, and IDs

 The documents you should be shredding after a certain amount of time:

• Tax records and receipts – 7 years
• Pay stubs and bank statements – 1 year
• Home purchase, sale, or improvement documents – 6 Years after you sell
• Medical records and bills – 1 Year after payment (in case of disputes)
• Warranty docs – Until it expires

While you can’t control what businesses do with your personal info, you can by shredding your own personal documents. As long as you shred what was just covered, you won’t be the cause of your own identity theft.

Catholic documents in oldest U.S. city preserved

 

By Ron Word
Associated Press

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Sister Catherine Bitzer slowly opened a file box and carefully removed a brittle page, scarred by years of neglectful storage, mold and insects. At 415 years old, the marriage record written by a Roman Catholic priest is still readable and is one of the oldest known European records from the United States.

It's among thousands of artifacts detailing the lives of the Spanish soldiers, missionaries and merchants who settled St. Augustine, the nation's oldest permanent city. The church kept the only official records, a role that today is filled by government.
After being scattered from Florida and surviving destruction for centuries, they are now safe in a newly renovated waterproof, fireproof and climate-controlled building at the Diocese of St. Augustine, said Bitzer, the archivist of the diocese.
Michael Gannon, a professor emeritus of history at the University of Florida, calls the archives "a pocketful of miracles." He tracked down most of the documents, which had traveled to Cuba, back to St. Augustine and then Notre Dame, Ind.
The earliest documents detail the births, confirmations, marriages and deaths of the Spanish residents in St. Augustine from 1594 to 1763, when the British took over Florida.
Dated Jan. 24, 1594, and handwritten by Father Diego Escobar de Sambrana, the record held by Bitzer details the marriage of soldier Gabriel Hernandez to Catalina de Valdes in St. Augustine, some 26 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
There are also records of the diocese's nine bishops and the Spanish colonial government, and microfilm of records on explorations, the attacks of English and French corsairs, the development of slavery and reports on Indian customs and languages.
Missing from the collection are the documents from the first 29 years of Catholic life in St. Augustine. Gannon believes they may have been destroyed by Sir Francis Drake, the English privateer, who sacked the town in 1586.
Tracking down and consolidating the collection in the diocese archive has been a long project for Gannon and other archivists.
For about a third of their existence, the documents have been away from St. Augustine. When Spanish Florida became a British outpost in 1763, the 15-volume parish records were placed in a crypt of the cathedral in Havana, Cuba, remaining forgotten for 107 years.
The first bishop of St. Augustine, Augustin Verot, found 14 of the 15 volumes in 1871. The 15th volume was found in 1938. The documents were sent to the National Archives in 1939, where they were encapsulated in transparent cellulose-diacetate foil for protection.
By the early 1960s, when Gannon was working on his doctoral dissertation on Verot, he began looking for documents detailing the lives of early Catholics in St. Augustine. "There was no collection of documents in Florida that any colleague could identify," Gannon said.
In 1961, Gannon asked a maid in the cathedral rectory in St. Augustine if she knew of any collections of old papers in the building. She directed Gannon to a closet off the second-story hallway.
He found documents from the Vatican setting up St. Augustine as a diocese in 1871, Verot's diary and correspondence from five other bishops.
Later in 1961, Gannon traveled to the University of Notre Dame to do research in its library. The parish registers had been sent there during World War II in 1942 to protect them from German U-boat activity in the Atlantic Ocean. He found them in the library attic, which he considered a fire hazard.
When they first came back to Florida, they were kept in the vault at St. Augustine National Bank. Gannon later found them stacked in a hallway floor opposite the boiler room in the Cathedral parish rectory.
"I felt especially blessed, as though divine force was leading me one step ahead of the cleaning lady, one step ahead of the wrecking ball, one step ahead of a possible fire," Gannon said.
Now that they are safely stored, the next project is to digitize them, so they can be readily and safely used by researchers.
Dr. Timothy Matovina, professor of theology and director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, University of Notre Dame, said the collection is an important resource for the history of Catholics in America.
"As Hispanic Catholics grow in number across the country, the legacy of colonial Catholicism becomes all the more important to research and remember," Matovina said.

Records Clean-Up Days: Getting Your Records Storage Under Control

Summer quarter seems to be a popular time of the year for departments to roll up their sleeves, pull on their jeans, and tackle the backlog of records sitting in storage areas. The increased amount of archival collections that we have received and the certificates of disposals being submitted made me think of writing an article to help departments that may be contemplating a cleaning project. Whether you have a central storage area that needs to be cleaned out or individual offices that need attention, organizing a clean-up day is a good way to get it done. Here are some tips to planning and carrying out a successful records clean-up day.

Get everyone involved

Everyone creates and stores records, so to get a good handle on what you have, what can be disposed of and what needs to stay, try to get as many people in the department involved as possible. Highlight the benefits of creating and maintaining a well-organized file system and work area. If you are working on a storage area, take inventory of what you have in storage to the best of your ability and contact the people who are responsible for the records.

Consult your records retention schedules

It is essential to consult your records retention schedules to find out whether or not you can dispose of the records. You will want to review the schedule itself and see if it requires any updates before the clean-up day. Also, make sure that records for each unit of the department are covered on a schedule. If not, contact records management to update and existing schedule or create a new one to address the missing records.

Contact Records Management

If you need updated or new schedules, the work will have to be completed before your scheduled day so that you can dispose of the records that were not currently scheduled at the outset of your planning. Additionally, I would be happy to be onsite on the day of your clean-up to assist with records analysis and to box up records to be transferred to the Archives. An extra set of hands is always helpful during a records clean-up!

Pick a date and advertise it.

This can be made easier if you use Outlook calendaring. Use the “Plan a Meeting” action in the calendar application to view the schedules of the staff in your department to determine the time when you will be able to get the most participation.

If each staff member is working on their own desk/office area, draft some guidelines for addressing records and let them know where the departmental records retention schedules can be found. If it is impossible or inconvenient for a staff member to participate on the date that you assign, you can ask them to examine their stored records before the event and mark what can be disposed of and what should be retained.

Don’t forget your electronic records

PCs and storage media should be evaluated as well as your paper records. This is a good time to evaluate whether you need to migrate records to another medium or format in order to keep them accessible throughout their lifetime. Electronic storage may have special destruction requirements. See UCit’s Computer and Electronic Media Disposal Policy at http://www.uc.edu/ucit/documents/RETIRED_EQUIPMENT_CLEANING_PROCESS.pdf.

Have equipment and supplies ready

Make sure that you have a dolly or two for moving boxes that will be disposed of or stored elsewhere. You may also need records cartons if you are pulling records out of file cabinets and transferring them to inactive storage and bins for the temporary storage of records to be shredded if a vendor is not onsite. Your shredding vendor may be able to supply you with the appropriate bins.  Disposable dust masks are recommended, especially if participants have allergies. Also, don’t forget a broom and dust pan and other cleaning supplies. Storage areas can get pretty dusty. And of course, have your records retention schedules available as well as something to note down what is being disposed of so that it will be easier later to complete your certificate of records disposal.

Set up shredding services

Chances are good that you will end up with more paper to shred than a department-owned machine can handle. If you do not already have a relationship with a shredding vendor, you can find contact information on the records management website at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/records_management/vendors.html. Additionally, you can contact the office of Information Security, which has a contract with Shred-It. InfoSec can be reached at infosec@uc.edu or by calling 558-ISec.

Most shredding vendors can either pick up your material after the clean-up is complete, or they can be onsite during the event. Decide what you would like to do and discuss your needs with the vendor beforehand.

Complete disposal certificates

As always, it is essential that you document what records you dispose of, including those that you destroy or discard AND those that you transfer to the Archives. As you will have a lot going on the day of your clean-up and several people may be responsible for disposal, it may be easiest to have a notepad available and write down what records are being disposed of as it happens, then completing the form later. The certificate forms can be found at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/records_management/FormsDownloads.html.

Keep things organized

Now that you have everything clean, tidy and organized, nail down procedures that will help to keep it that way. Institute an annual or semi-annual records purge based on retention requirements. The frequency of a purge should be based on the volume of records that you accumulate, the space you have available for storage, and the resources you have to perform the purge. Make rules for what can be stored in a central area and who can authorize storage. Chances are good that your storage areas will not become cluttered if they are being monitored. As fun as record clean-up days are, one major one is enough!

Records Quarterly
Vol. 2 No. 2 Summer 2009

 

 

Why Do I Need Document Storage?

Posted on: October 25th, 2012 by Kevin Jones

You may be asking yourself this question and wondering what the benefits of offsite document storage would be to your business.

The paperless office has been promised for a long time ever since the day computers & laptops became commonplace in our offices and daily lives. Unfortunately as the owners of many businesses have discovered the paperless office has yet to become a reality leaving us with large volumes of boxes & files in our Offices, Store Rooms, Basements and roof spaces. These boxes & files can take up a surprising amount of space and sadly destroying the documents isn’t always an option as we may need them in the future or possibly be legally obligated to retain them for a period of time before having them confidentially destroyed.

The most likely solution to your Document Storage needs is the solution offered by File Solutions Ltd. We are a professional document management company and specialize in Document Storage, Document Management, Document Shredding and Secure Vault Storage using our custom built facility.

File Solutions  manage your documents from the moment one of our vehicles picks up your boxes and files to the moment they are either returned to your care or confidentially destroyed in our Document Shredding Facility. All boxes and files are barcoded on collection and scanned onto our vehicle ensuring reliable and complete traceability at all times. On arrival at our Document Storage Facility your boxes and files are scanned again to confirm receipt before being allocated to a specific area of the facility for storage. File Solutions has become a strategic partner of O’Neil Records Management Software & Hardware which ensures that your documents are managed effectively and that there location and status is known at all times

File Solutions Document Storage Facility has been custom built to meet the storage needs of modern businesses and features:

• Fire & Intruder Alarms linked directly to the emergency services
• CCTV throughout the facility both externally and internally
• Access Control which restricts movement around the facility to authorised personnel only
• Secure Vault Storage for more sensitive documents featuring additional security and an automatic fire suppression system

Additionally our staff are CRB checked and have been highly trained in Document Management providing you peace of mind that your important files and documents are in the hands of professionals.

So to summerise the benefits of offsite document storage for you business would include:

• Freeing up valuable office space
• Reducing costs in time and money of managing your documents in house
• Knowing your documents are being professionally managed by our team of experts
• Storage in a secure location with state if the art fire detection & intruder control systems
• Rapid Retrieval of your documents when needed
• Nationwide Collections & Deliveries by our fleet of vehicles

With these benefits in mind why not find out how we can work with you to manage your Document Storage needs by contacting us today

Don’t Print This Email

We’ve all seen the message.

Tucked neatly into emails, between a friendly signoff and an inspirational quote, it advises readers to think about the environment before they print — and suggests that if they still choose to hit the big green button, they’ll be striking a major blow to our nation’s forests. But how many of us have hovered our cursors over the word “print,” trying to choose between the future of our planet and the ability to annotate documents, take home a hard copy, or work on a report with all our resources at hand? Paper has always been an essential part of our lives, from our first days in school to our everyday work on the job. So, why the sudden push to “delete” this valued resource, in favor of an all-digital world — the much-talked-about, but seldom-realized “paperless” lifestyle?
The phenomenon began with the best of intentions. After all, who wouldn’t agree that paper is a valuable resource, and senseless waste should be avoided? But what about the aspects of paper that just can’t be replicated in the digital realm? From ease of sharing documents, to a familiar sense of comfort, to the way the brain processes information, paper still plays an important role in our lives. And paper manufacturers like Domtar are taking great care to ensure it also plays a role in supporting sustainable forest management. So, maybe it’s not a matter of choosing “to print or not to print,” as much as making the right choice for the task at hand. Below are a few guidelines to help decide when to print, when to save, and why.

Think before you print.

Good advice. Everyone should be responsible when considering whether or not an item should be printed. It may help to think about whether you really need a printout, and how long you plan to keep it. If it's an email you can quickly take care of on-screen, and won't need to reference again, ask yourself whether printing it out really adds value. If not, you may want to skip printing this time. However, if an item needs to be read in detail, written on, and remembered, paper is a reasonable and responsible choice — especially when it's Domtar paper.

To help decide on print vs. pixels, take a look at this infographic. 

Set the records straight.

If you’ve ever been audited, you may have an idea of what it means to keep accurate records — and perhaps more importantly, what it means if you don’t. Hard drives crash, backup systems often fail; and many of us simply fail to keep accurate digital records in the first place. Organizing financial documents on paper lets us see every transaction as a physical object, and file it in a physical place. Maybe that’s why paper has been proven to do a better job in helping us keep track of money matters. Just be sure to save a copy off-site.

Collaborate and connect.

When it comes to connecting with friends online, social media sites have a definite advantage — but in business, sharing and discussing a printed document is still extremely efficient. Maybe it’s because it’s easier to ignore an email than a stack of papers in your inbox. You can jot down messages, affix sticky notes, and show it and discuss with a colleague, your team, or your boss. Paper plays an important role in the way we do business —and when it's used responsibly, it can improve productivity and efficiency.

Make an investment that’s worth more than the paper it’s printed on.

It’s not just about what you print — it’s also about what you print it on. By choosing an environmentally responsible paper from Domtar, you help ensure a sustainable future for the forests that provide the paper you use every day. Domtar paper is certified to the standards of internationally recognized organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®).  Domtar is committed to responsible forest management, and has a preference for FSC certification where available. Sustainable forest management practices include the maintaining of High Conservation Value Forests, habitat protection for endangered species, biodiversity for healthy forest ecosystems and safe places for animals to repopulate and plant species to thrive.
Unlike fossil fuels, gemstones and natural gas, which take millions of years to be restored, trees are a truly renewable resource — and the forest products industry plants millions of new trees each day. Paper is also 100% recyclable. So, once you print that document (on an environmentally responsible paper), don’t just throw it away — give it a second life.

Get together.

Both electronic and print media are important, and both impact the environment in their own ways — from the use of natural resources, to energy consumption, to batteries and hazardous waste. But with the right paper and the right choices, it is possible to communicate efficiently, and responsibly. So, should you print this web page? (We’ll leave this one up to you.)

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Back to School

Good luck to all the parents who are shipping their kids off to college this weekend. We hope your organization's aren't as unorganized as our 18-year-old's belongings!

No more white after Monday!

Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September since the 1880s. The form the observance and celebration of Labor Day took was outlined in the first proposal for the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day.

I love that phrase… “esprit de corps.”  Essentially it refers to shared morale…  the spirit of the group that make its members want it to succeed…. the stuff that makes you want to get up every day cause you are part of something bigger than yourself.

Here at File Solutions Ltd we start every day believing that. That the records and related information management services we provide our clients is something of incredible value. And together we make great things happen. We have numerous clients in this area who will attest to that.

Bottom line… we would love you to work with us so that you get to experience the kind of service we offer.  We want you to know our passion for making your life and business better doing what we do.

And that means less labor for you.

Records and information management is critical to business continuity, legal compliance, customer satisfaction and profitability. Let me help you discover the perfect solution for your business!

Happy Labor Day!