What do we keep in our archives?

Inactive records of interest include those that best illustrate the purpose, activities and policies of your organization over time. Documentation which should be preserved for historical and administrative research includes:

• Architectural records (corporate and plant layouts and designs, expansion projects, etc.)

• Articles of incorporation, charters, by-laws (detailing the company’s founding and constitutional changes, etc.)

• Audio and video recordings (oral histories, meetings, presentations, etc.)

• Budgets (annual, for significant projects or campaigns, etc.)

• Company histories (written accounts, timelines, biographical information on founders, key executives, etc.)

• Correspondence of officers (communications on important issues and core company activity, etc.)

• Financial statements (audit reports, annual accounts, stock materials, tax materials, papers with key financial information, etc.)

• Handbooks (record of terms and conditions, employee guidelines and benefits, etc.)

• Legal documents (mergers, patents, licensing agreements, etc.)

• Marketing and advertising materials (ad campaigns, catalogs, pamphlets, brochures, fliers, etc.)

• Memoranda (messages to investors, consumers and employees, etc.)

• Minutes of meetings (detailing key actions and decisions, etc.)

• Film and video tape

• News clippings

• Newsletters and other publications (internal communications)

• Photographs (of key staff, of employee social events, visual record of company property, etc.)

• Personal memorabilia (belonging to directors, general employees or family members…especially for family businesses)

• Planning documents (operating plans, especially showing commercial activity)

• Press releases of major events or product introductions

• Key reports (annual, committee, department, etc.)

• Speeches of major events

• Artifacts (works of art, antiques, publications, memorabilia, etc.)