When you use a shared drive to manage and store permanent records, you should consider what documentation, including finding aids or indexes that may be required at the time of transfer. Measures must be put in place to ensure the records have the minimum metadata required in NARA Bulletin 2015-04: Metadata Guidance for the Transfer of Permanent Electronic Records.
Metadata for records maintained in a shared drive must be managed and retrievable. Federal agencies are responsible for managing their records in accordance with NARA statutes including the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. Chapters 21, 29, 31,33) and NARA regulations (36 CFR Chapter XII Subchapter B).
NARA Bulletin 2012-02: Guidance on Managing Content on Shared Drives provides general guidance on using shared drives to manage records. The Bulletin addresses records management implications and challenges, agency responsibilities, and benefits of organizing and managing content stored on shared drives.
I was hoping to see more guidance on which fields to identify from Share Drives as metatags for transfer of Permanent Electronic Records, not creating finding guides or planning a project. Please, which fields, intrinsic to the Windows Explorer file structure should be mapped to metatags (and to which Dublin Core field) for purposes of transferring permanent electronic records.
Dear Mr. Simmons,
Thank you for your comment. You asked which specific fields in Microsoft shared drive file structure should be mapped to Dublin Core metatags. Each agency and records transfer will have different needs depending on the records schedule so it is difficult to address individual records transfer requirements.
In general, the metadata requirements are found in NARA Bulletin 2015-04 Metadata Guidance for the Transfer of Permanent Electronic Records at https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2015/2015-04.html. The Bulletin describes minimum metadata requirements for Transfer-Level and File/Item level metadata. The Bulletin also contains Appendix A, Metadata Element Definitions, and Appendix B, Recommended File and Folder Naming Conventions. As the guidance is intended to describe best practices, it does not define the unique characteristics of specific transfers of electronic records.
For questions related to the transfer of electronic records and their accompanying metadata, the agency should consult with the National Archives and Records Administration, Electronic Records Division, Processing Branch (RDEP), 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740, telephone number (301) 837-3420, or by email to: Etransfers@nara.gov.
If additional information is needed, or if you have questions about any part of this Bulletin, please contact your agency’s Records Officer, NARA Appraisal Archivist, or records management contact. Please refer to the List of NARA Contacts for Your Agency at http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/appraisal/.