A well-organized filing arrangement is a must for any office. State agencies should decide on a filing system and equipment that fits the specific needs of their offices. Regardless of the system you choose, the most important element is that you know exactly where files are located when you need them. Finding the information needed, being able to extract that information from records in existence, and being sure the information is in a usable format is dependent upon an efficient universal filing system. Everyone in the agency should know and use the system.

Before an adequate filing system can be instituted there should be a complete inventory of your records with retention periods established for each record/record series. This service is provided free by the State Records Unit and is described in Section 1 of this handbook.

Once you have an approved application for authority to dispose of records, you can then begin a real files management system. One of the first things you will want to do is establish procedures for determining which records are active and which are inactive. Only active records should be in filing equipment near your office space. Inactive records should be kept in an inactive records storage area, or in the State Records Center. This will save storage costs, equipment costs, reduce retrieval and reference time and aid in overall efficiency and cost savings. While you are evaluating your records, you also should determine which records are essential for emergency government operations in case of disaster. You should establish a system for the protection and preservation of these records in the event of emergencies.

Many officials feel that the greatest disaster that can occur in a public office is the misplaced or lost file. It is estimated that 5-7 percent of all files are either lost or misplaced. If you are in a situation where a record is needed but cannot be found, a search should help find the record:

1. Look in the desk tray.
2. See if the paper is improperly arranged in the folder.
3. Look in the folder just in front and behind the proper folder.
4. Look in the space just in front, behind and under the proper folder.
5. In alphabetical systems, look under names that have a similar spelling or sound.
6. In alphabetical systems try other indexing units.
7. Look under names or topics that are related in some way to the lost record.

One trend in office equipment is the use of lateral shelves and cabinets instead of vertical file drawer systems. Various styles of lateral shelves allow for more filing inches per square foot of floor space than do vertical file systems. Also, some agencies have purchased mobile shelving systems to save space, and color-coded files to speed access and help avoid misfiling. Contact the State Records Unit to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various systems, equipment and supplies.

Another trend is the elimination of legal-size (8 1/2" x 14") documents, forms, file folders, supplies and equipment. Legal size equipment costs 13 percent more than letter size (8 1/2" x 11") and uses 16 percent more floor space. Federal courts and Illinois state courts accept only letter-size documents. State agencies are urged to eliminate the use of legal-size files with possible exceptions made for accounting records, architectural and engineering documents, and computer printouts.

Back to State Records Management Manual – Table of Contents page