WHC Partner

Washington State Archives Collections Policy
Olympia, Washington

Each state agency is an important part of the state and its history. It is essential that the archival records of state agencies be preserved. The archival program is people dependent, therefore your understanding, cooperation and support in preserving the historical record is essential. Without your help the job will not be done, and much of the historical record will be lost, inadvertently destroyed or ultimately will disintegrate. We hope you will view preservation of the archives not just as a legal requirement but as an important cultural responsibility in which you can actively participate and support. Sam Reed, Secretary of State

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Washington State Archives is "To centralize the archives of the state of Washington, to make them available for reference and scholarship, and to ensure their proper preservation." (RCW 40.14.020). To accomplish this mission, the State Archives is authorized to inspect and appraise all state government records for archival value, to designate which records shall be transferred to the Archives, to preserve those records as a public trust, and to ensure that all citizens have free and ready access to those records under the provisions of the law.

Purpose of the Archives and Archival Collections:

The purpose of the Archives is to document the history, organization and functions of Washington State government agencies and their impact on the lives of citizens. The archival collections consist of over 50,000 cubic feet (around 100 million documents) of records that document many aspects of the history of the state and activities of state government. The collections date from the establishment of Washington Territory in 1853 to the present. Included among them are the papers of each governor, legislative records, court records, records from all state agencies, and all of the "official records" of the state, including governors’ proclamations, executive orders, election results, and the laws as passed and signed.

"To centralize the archives of Washington."

Researchers from all over the world rely on the Archives for information about Washington, its government, and its citizens. To best serve them, it is essential that the information be centralized and not scattered in various locations statewide, which is why state agencies may not establish and operate their own individual "archives."

Public records must always remain in government custody. They may not be donated to organizations such as libraries, museums or historical societies, and they may not be taken home by government employees under penalty of law. Public records are the property of the State.

"To make them available for reference and scholarship."

The Archives employs professionally trained staff dedicated to helping researchers find and understand state government records. This guarantees the best possible service to the public.

"To ensure their proper preservation."

All records deteriorate, whether they are paper, electronic, optical images, photographs, or other media. The Archives operates a records conservation lab that employs techniques to preserve records, and all of the most important historical records in the custody of the Archives are stored in special temperature/humidity controlled vaults which extends the life of records many times over.

"To provide continuity of care and continuing access."

The State Archives is established by law to take care of the state’s historical records and is equipped and staffed to do so. Generally state agencies do not have the facilities, equipment or people with the time or professional archival training to do archival work, and a change in staffing or agency outlook can often result in the neglect or even destruction of records.

Legal Authority:

"All public records, not required in the current operation of the office where they are made or kept. . . shall be transferred to the state archives so that the valuable historical records of the state may be centralized, made more widely available, and insured preservation." (RCW 40.14.030). Under the terms of the law, all state government agencies are obliged to submit their records to the State Archives for review and possible inclusion in the archival collections when the agency which created those records no longer needs them for day-to-day operations.

The State Archives serves as the archival repository for all state government agencies. However, state agencies share the responsibility by providing for the preservation of historical public records until such time as they can be transferred to the Archives, and ensuring that such records are transferred to Archives in a timely manner.

Public Records Defined:

"The term public records shall include any paper, correspondence, completed form, bound record book, photograph, film, sound recording, map drawing, machine-readable material, or any other document, regardless of physical form or characteristics, and including such copies thereof, that have been made or received by any agency of the state of Washington in connection with the transaction of public business." (RCW 40.14.010).

Essentially, all documentation produced by or received by any government agency, regardless of form and including electronic records, are “public records.” This includes the records of agency directors and members of boards and commissions.

Appraisal and Collection Policy:

The purpose of archival appraisal is to select those state government records which document the functions, programs, and activities of state government agencies. To achieve this, the Archives has the legal mandate to collect records from every level of government which will serve the purpose of documenting Washington’s history, and to select those records that will be preserved. It is the policy of the State Archives to collect historically significant records from all branches and agencies of government, including the executive, judicial and legislative branches.

Evidentiary Records:

The kinds of records which merit inclusion in the Archives are those which provide essential evidentiary information on state agency functions. The Archives seeks to acquire those records which are the primary record of how citizens are governed, managed, or otherwise related to public institutions over time. Kinds of records which are traditionally appraised as "archival" for their evidentiary value include: records designated by law as having permanent historical value; records which best reflect the mission, goals, programs, functions, organization and other activities related to the operations of state agencies and programs; records that provide the most accurate, understandable, accessible and succinct source of information; records that have intrinsic value based upon the physical form of the record, its uniqueness, or other factors arising out of its creation or use.

Informational Records:

In addition to documenting the functions of state government, the Archives is also responsible for preserving records that have valuable information for a variety of researchers. To that end, records are collected and preserved which would be of value, for example, to: the legal community in establishing "legislative intent;" genealogists seeking to find out about their ancestors; citizens seeking records to document and safeguard their rights; historians seeking primary historical source materials of all kinds; state agency officials researching the actions and activities of their agencies in the past.

Typical Archival Government Records:

• Executive level correspondence and subject files;
• State agency annual/biennial reports;
• Primary documentation of state government programs;
• Meeting minutes;
• Studies;
• Research reports;
• Public affairs office files

Non-Government Records:

In addition to government records, the State Archives collects records derived from other sources which may augment government records collections or otherwise shed light on government policies or activities. These include the papers of legislators, private papers of former government officials, private collections of documents and manuscript materials, working files, studies, and publications featuring government activities, and other materials which may highlight, clarify or further explain government, its functions and actions.

The Archival Appraisal Process:

Archival appraisal is a multi-step process which begins with the analysis of state agency records retention schedules by the Archives Appraisal Committee. Records may be re-appraised later when the time comes for their transfer to archives or disposal. In some cases only a portion of the records are saved for archives. State agencies are kept informed of the archival status of the records which they created, and if it is determined that the "archival" status of a record needs to be changed they are consulted.

Once records have been designated as "archival" they are earmarked for eventual transfer to the State Archives. When the state agency that created the records no longer has a current administrative, legal or fiscal need for such records (as defined in the agency’s records retention schedules), they must be transferred to the State Archives. The maximum length of time a state agency may retain archival records is fifty years, but usually the retention period is much shorter. If an agency is required by law to keep certain records permanently (such as board minutes), the State Archives assumes the responsibility for such requirements.

Ownership of Transferred Records

All records created, collected or maintained by state agencies are the property of the State of Washington and the public that paid for their creation. The agency that creates or maintains the records is the legal custodian of the records until such time as they are transferred to the Archives or destroyed.

Records transferred to the Archives come under both the physical and legal control of the Archives. The Archives can decide, after careful consideration and in consultation with the agency of origin, to weed, sample or dispose of records which have been transferred. The final decision as to which records are to be preserved forever by the State Archives is up to the State Archivist and staff.

Records transferred to the Archives are open to the public for research under the terms of the Public Disclosure Act with no further reference to the agency of origin. They may be researched and copied, but they may not be removed from the Archives.

Agencies are not charged a box storage fee for records transferred to the Archives. Instead, their maintenance and storage are paid for out of the Archives and Records Management Revolving Fund, which is not based upon the number of boxes stored.

Access to Records:

Public records transferred to the Washington State Archives are open for inspection and examination by the public unless prohibited by specific statute or restricted under the terms of the Public Disclosure Act (RCW 42.17). All records which have been transferred to archival custody are available to researchers on equal terms of access. The Archives does not grant privileged or exclusive use of materials to any person or organization. Records that are in the custody of the Archives must be used and copied on site at the Archives. They may not be removed for any purpose unless special arrangements have been made or they are subpoenaed into court.

Differences Between the Archives and the Records Center:

Often when people speak of "archiving" their records or sending their records to archives they are really speaking about the State Records Center. Although both the State Records Center and the State Archives are part of the Washington State Division of Archives and Records Management, and although the jobs of both sections are to store records and provide reference services, there are several fundamental differences.

State Records Center:

• Serves as an off-site storage facility for state agency records;
• Only stores records which have Records Retention Schedules and have not yet reached the end of their retention period;
• Only allows the agency of origin access to the records;
• Checks records back out to the agency of origin upon request;
• Charges the agency of origin for storage based upon the number of boxes stored;
• Assigns each box a unique bar-code number for inventory control, tracking and reference.

State Archives:

• Only stores records which have historical value;
• Only takes in records which have completed their retention period (or in some cases, records which were never scheduled);
• Allows access to anyone, under the terms of the Public Disclosure Act;
• Does not check records out except under very special circumstances;
• Does not charge for box storage.
• Catalogs its holdings by subject, content and origin.

Transfer and Disposition of Archival Records:

Records designated as “archival” on the records retention schedule are determined by the State Archives as having continuing historical significance. They must be transferred to the Archives at the end of their retention period. If the records are first sent to the State Records Center for temporary storage prior to the expiration of their retention periods they must be accompanied by an Archival Box Content List. This is important. for when the boxes reach the end of their retention periods they will be transferred directly to the Archives where the Content List will be essential in the cataloguing process.

Transfer Procedures for Archival Records:

Records are transferred to the State Archives either directly from the agency which created them or via the State Records Center.

Direct Transfers: State agencies may transfer archival records directly to the State Archives if they have reached the end of their retention periods or if they are records with historical value which have never been scheduled. They must be boxed in records center boxes and the boxes must be labeled. Archives Records Transmittal forms must accompany the boxes.

Records from the Governors Office, Lieutenant Governors Office, the House of Representatives and the State Senate are always transferred directly to the State Archives.

Transfers from the State Records Center:

When the end of the total retention period of archival records stored at the State Records Center has been reached the Records Center automatically transfer those records to the State Archives, informing the agency of origin of the transfer. In order to catalog the records into the Archives system it is essential that Archival Box Content List has been prepared.