Records Retention

Policy Type

Policy Audience

(Public Record Law Implementation Responsibility – Library Director)

A. LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Record Title	Retention Period	Reason	Active Use	Inactive Storage
Audio Recordings	1 year from date of meeting; unless required to retain due to pending legislation	Code of Iowa, 21.5(4). Administrative and legal value ends.	1 year	Destroy
Board Packets	Permanent	Continuing administrative, historical, and legal values	10 years	Archived/Special Collections
Minutes of the Board	Permanent	Continuing administrative, historical, and legal values	10 years	Archived/Special Collections
Bills Reports	Permanent	Continuing administrative, historical, and legal values	10 years	Archived/Special Collections
Resolutions	Permanent	Continuing administrative, historical, and legal values	10 years	Archived/Special Collections
Rosters of Previous Board Members	Permanent	Continuing administrative, historical, and legal values	10 years	Archived/Special Collections
Correspondence	As long as administratively useful; appraise for permanent retention	Possible long-term administrative use and historical value	Saved electron-ically	Saved electron-ically
B. FINANCIAL
Record Title	Retention Period	Reason	Active Use	Inactive Storage
Capital Improvement Projects	5 years after project completion	Administrative value ends	5 years	Records kept by City
Grant Reports	10 year minimum, depending on grant requirements	Fiscal value ends	10 years	Records kept by City
Accounts Payable
a. Invoices, statements, bills	10 years	Fiscal value ends	10 years	Records kept by City Finance
b. Purchase orders	10 years	Fiscal value ends	10 years	Records kept by City Finance
c. Requisitions	10 years	Fiscal value ends	10 years	Records kept by City Finance
Accounts Receivable
a. Gifts & Memorials	10 years or 5 years after expended	Fiscal value ends	10 years	Destroy
b. Daily cash receipt tabulation (cash register tapes, tallies, etc.)	10 years	Fiscal value ends	10 years	Destroy
c. Invoices, statements, bills	10 years	Fiscal value ends	10 years	Records kept by City Finance
Bids, Quotes & Proposals
a. Official Copy, Bid/ Proposal RFP	10 years after completion of contract	Administrative value ends	10 years	Destroy
b. Copies of Bids Received and Related Documents for Public Improvement Projects and Acted on by Board	10 years after completion of contract; accepted bids retained permanently	Administrative value ends; continuing administrative value	10 years	Destroy
C. CIRCULATION
Record Title	Retention Period	Reason	Active Use	Inactive Storage
Borrower’s registration database files	Purge after 3 years of inactivity and following approved procedure	As per Iowa State Library Certification	Follow approved procedure	Delete
Circulation Records	5 years	Administrative value ends	5 years	Delete
D. ADMINISTRATION & LEGAL
Record Title	Retention Period	Reason	Active Use	Inactive Storage
Agreements	10 years after expiration	Administrative value ends	10 years	Destroy
Annual Report	Permanent	Continuing historical value	10 years	Archived/Special Collections
Contracts for Service with Other Entities	10 years after expiration	Administrative value ends	10 years	Destroy
Building design blueprints, specifications and construction documents	Permanent	Continuing administrative & historical value	10 years	Archived/Special Collections
Patron comment forms possibly requiring legal action	Permanent, or until patron is no longer living	Administrative and legal values end	Permanent	Destroy
Patron comment form about staff services	Staff personnel folder		While staff is active	Terminated Employee Files
Patron Comment Forms and emails from library service area users	Until answered; no longer than 6 months (do not include comments from persons outside the library service area)	Administrative value ends	6 or less months	Administrative Office Files
Incident Reports	1 year non-critical; 5 years critical; indefinitely for lifetime bans	Administrative and legal value ends	1 to 5 years or indefinitely	Destroy
Ban Notices	1 year non-critical; 5 years critical; indefinitely for lifetime bans	Administrative and legal values end	1 to 5 years or indefinitely	Destroy
Security DVR Files	Rolling 30 days; unless related to an incident (ban, crime, investigation, insurance, etc.)	Advice of City Attorney	Rolling 30 days or determined by incident	Destroy
Leases	5 years after expiration, 5-year minimum	Administrative value ends	5 years	Destroy
Major bequest files	Indefinitely; 5 years after expended	Administrative value ends	5 years after expended	Destroy
Surveys & Report to State Library Commission	Permanent	Continuing historical value	Permanent	Administrative Office Files
Individual Employee Files
a. Job Description & History	Permanent	Continuing historical value	10 years	Terminated Employee Files
b. Application & Resume	60 years	Administrative value ends	10 years	Terminated Employee Files
c. Evaluations, discipline, demotion, promotion, awards, patron comments	60 years	Administrative value ends	10 years	Terminated Employee Files
c. Continuing Education	60 years	Administrative value ends	10 years	Terminated Employee Files
c. Medical Information (separate file)	60 years	Administrative value ends	10 years	Terminated Employee Files
c. Resignation, Reasons for Leaving	60 years	Administrative value ends	10 years	Terminated Employee Files
c. Claim for IPERS	60 years	Administrative value ends	10 years	Records kept by City HR
Applications of Those Not Hired	5 years	Administrative value ends	5 years	Destroy
Personnel Polices, Pay Plans, Etc.	Permanent	Continuing historical value	Permanent	Administrative Office Files or City HR

Download Policy

Discovery Pass Ticket System

The Library will be closing early Tuesday, December 31

The Library will be closed Tuesday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 25

Records Retention