Records Retention Policy

Section: Administration

Approved: 3/19/2009

Reviewed: 3/17/2011

Revised: 4/19/2012, 10/24/2013, 3/17/2016, 3/28/2019, 4/21/2022

Library records consist of information documented in performance of the Library’s official business. The Records Retention Policy exists in order to:

provide appropriate records to staff and the public;
comply with laws on privacy, confidentiality, and open records;
conform to the City’s policy;
address security and space concerns; and
ensure that the library keeps necessary records.

Library records must be routinely maintained for legally accountable periods of time and routinely destroyed under the scheduled record retention periods.

The records retention schedule is applicable without regard to the format of a record. Certain records may be maintained in one or more formats and, at certain times, library staff may be in the process of transferring records from one format to another.

Electronic records that are deleted in accordance with the appropriate record series retention schedule may be stored on library backup servers for a period before they are completely unrecoverable. Recoverable deleted electronic records may be accessed only with permission of the Library Director. However, electronic records cannot be destroyed if they have been requested under Code of Iowa Chapter 22, or if they are part of ongoing litigation, even if their retention period has expired.

Responsibility

The Records Manager for the City of Ames is the City Clerk. Compliance with Library policy and implementation of public record law is the responsibility of the Library Director. Members of staff and volunteers may be appointed to assist in records management.

Schedule

A. ADMINISTRATIVE

Record Title	Retention Period	Reason
Agreements, Leases, and Contracts for Equipment or Services (except CIP projects)	10 years after expiration Note: contracts for CIP projects are kept by City Clerk	Administrative and legal value ends
Annual reports (to City Council)	Permanent	Continuing historical value
Borrowers’ accounts and database (electronic) CONFIDENTIAL	Purge after 3 years of patron inactivity, unless debts are outstanding	Administrative value ends (per State Library)
Community Service records (for court-appointed individuals)	Permanent	Continuing legal value
Contracts for library services to other communities	Permanent	Continuing legal value
Incident reports	5 years	Administrative value ends
Key Log	Permanent, updated, as necessary, for life of locks	Continuing administrative value
Reports and Studies solicited by Ames Public Library	5 years then appraise for continuing value	Administrative value ends. Possible historical value.
Reports submitted to State Library of Iowa	Permanent	Continuing legal value
Requests for Public Information	5 years, unless required because of pending litigation	Administrative and legal value ends
Security Digital Video Recordings	Approximately 14 days	Automatically overwritten when device is full
Statements of Concern	5 years after resolution of the concern	Administrative value ends

B. BUILDING/EQUIPMENT

Record Title	Retention Period	Reason
Capital Projects (building plans and specifications, construction documents, blueprints, and as-built or photographic documentation	Permanent	Continuing administrative and historical value
Fixed equipment (operating manuals, inspection logs, maintenance records, operating permits)	Life of equipment plus 5 years	Administrative value ends

C. FINANCIAL

Record Title	Retention Period	Reason
Bequests and Endowments	Life of donated item OR 5 years after funds have been spent; then assess for historical value	Administrative value ends. Possible historical value.
Grants	5 years after completion OR grant terms, if stated therein; then assess for historical value	Legal and Administrative values end. Possible historical value
Requests for bids or proposals, responses, and evaluation materials, if not handled by City of Ames Purchasing Division	5 years after date of award	Administrative and legal value ends

D. HISTORICAL

Record Title	Retention Period	Reason
Ames Library Association Minutes, Records & Correspondence	Permanent	Continuing historical value
Space needs studies, building expansion proposals, building programs	Permanent	Continuing historical value

E. LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Record Title	Retention Period	Reason
Audio recordings of closed sessions CONFIDENTIAL	1 year from date of meeting, unless litigation is pending	Code of Iowa §21.5(4) (2009)
Board meeting packets (agenda, action forms, reports and correspondence distributed for Board meetings)	Permanent	Continuing historical value
Library Policies	Permanent	Continuing administrative, historical and legal values
Strategic Plans	Permanent	Continuing historical value
Minutes of closed sessions CONFIDENTIAL	1 year from date of meeting, unless litigation is pending	Code of Iowa §21.5(4) (2009)
Minutes of open meetings	Permanent	Continuing administrative, historical, and legal values
Signed Resolutions	Permanent	Continuing administrative, historical, and legal values

F. PERSONNEL

Record Title

Retention Period

Reason

Employee Files (application, position description at time of hire, written reprimands, performance evaluations.)

CONFIDENTIAL

5 years after end of employment (Service records of employees retained permanently by Human Resources; payroll information kept permanently by Finance Dept.)

Administrative value ends

Work study records

5 years

Administrative value ends

References

Code of Iowa Section 304.2(6)

Code of Iowa Section 22

Record Retention Manual for Iowa Cities, Iowa League of Cities, October 2012

Ames Public Library’s Confidentiality and Library User Records Policy.

City of Ames Records Retention Schedule adopted by Resolution No. 11-347, July 12, 2011