Instructions for Shipment of Temporary Records to the Records Center
National
Synod and Presbytery
Congregations
Services Video
  1. Obtain approval for records transfer
    1. Before you begin packing your records, please telephone or e-mail Records Manager Margaret Merrick (X 5410). She will answer questions about records center procedures, approve the records transfer, and send you records transfer forms and box labels. She can also work with you to create retention schedules for your records.
    2. Once you and the Society staff have determined which records should be sent to the records center, you will be assigned a transfer number for your shipment.
    3. Material is stored in the records center until it meets its retention period. It is then destroyed.

  2. Box records and complete paperwork
    1. The Purchasing Department will order boxes for your shipment or provide you with supplier information so that you can order them yourself.
    2. When you receive the transfer form, fill it out with a brief inventory of the contents of each box (e.g. "Cancelled Checks, 1985-88"). Also fill out the scheduled date of destruction based on records retention schedules. Remember that the destruction schedule is based on the amount of years from the time that the records were created, not from the present date. Take the most recent date appearing in a box and use that to determine the destruction date. If you have any questions about retention and destruction, please contact the Records Manager.
    3. Keep the white copy of the form for your records. This copy is your main tool to retrieve folders in the future. If you need to retrieve a file, please contact the Society with the specific transfer number and the appropriate box number.
    4. Put the yellow copy in the first box of your shipment.
    5. Attach the box labels to the front of the box, directly below the handle. DO NOT PLACE THE LABEL ON THE LID OF THE BOX! It is vital that the transfer number appears on every label. Please type or print labels.

  3. Ship records
    1. Please ship all boxes to the Presbyterian Historical Society via UPS Ground. For large shipments, please discuss other options with PHS staff.
Please direct all questions regarding these instructions to Margaret Merrick at extension 5410 or via email: mmerrick@ctr.pcusa.org.