What Is A Record?

"Records" are defined, in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code, as including the following:  any document--paper, electronic (including, but not limited to, e-mail), or other format--that is created or received by, or comes under the jurisdiction of a public office that documents the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other activities of the office.

County records, such as resolutions, contracts, payroll records and annual reports, tell the people of Montgomery County what their government is doing and how their tax money is being spent.

Most offices struggle on a day-to-day basis to maintain control over the deluge of information, paper and data coming into their offices.  Being able to recognize and separate long-term, highly valuable records from short-term, low value records is the first step in any office's records management program.

The following are the five major categories of information and data found in a county office:

1. Non-Records
2. Transient Records
3. Short-Term Records
4. Long-Term Records
5. Permanent Records

It is very important that every county office learn to control all these categories of records and non-records on a daily basis.  If it does not, employees will become overwhelmed.  Non-records, transient records and short-term records will pile up to the point that the preservation of long-term and permanent records is endangered and the effective operation of the office is impaired.  The office will be unable to fulfill its responsibility to keep its records accessible and open to the public.