Resources

King County Archives accepts transfer of records that have met their legal retention requirements and are appraised by the County Archivist as archival or potentially archival. If you have any questions about the appraisal or transfer of archival records, please contact the Archives at archives@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-2480.

If you have physical records that are archival or potentially archival and have met their retention requirements, start by completing a Disposition Request Form (see guidance).

If you have electronic records that are archival or potentially archival and have met their retention requirements, they must be filed to Content Manager (CM) to be dispositioned from that system.

Visit our Content Manager Job Aids page for Content Manager resources.

Destruction After Digitization (DAD) is also known as Scanning and Tossing. The DAD form outlines the minimum requirements that state and local government agencies in Washington State must meet in order to lawfully destroy paper-based source records after they have been converted to a digital format by scanning. These requirements and guidelines promote best practices for ensuring access to, and retrieval of, digital images throughout their legally-required minimum retention period(s), and assist King County agencies with complying with records retention schedules; King County policies; RCW 40.14, Preservation and Destruction of Public Records; WAC 434-662, Preservation of Electronic Records; and WAC 434-663, Imaging Systems, Standards for Accuracy and Durability.

• Blank Destruction After Digitization (DAD) Application Form
• Approved DAD applications

In April 2023, all previous disposition (destruction or transfer) forms were replaced by a single consolidated form, Disposition Request Form. This new form is created and submitted within Content Manager. Refer to below guidance on how to access and use the new form.

• Disposition of Records - Guidance
• How to create a Disposition Request Form in Content Manager
• How to create a Disposition Request Form in Content Manager (Video, four minutes)

• King County Records Disaster Salvation Package - How to care for damaged records based on their format and damage
• What to do with Wet Paper Records
• Salvage Water Damaged Collections

• Batch File Conversion (IrfanView)
• DocuSign Records Guidance
• Database Records Guidance
• Database Purge Plan
• Digital Photograph Guidelines
• Document Storage Locations Guidance - OneDrive vs. SharePoint vs. Content Manager vs. EDMS vs. CIFs
• OneDrive Records Guidance
• SharePoint and Teams - General Best Practice
• Social Media Posts - Records Retention and Disclosure Guidance
• Microsoft Teams - Detailed Guidance
• Text Messages - County-Issued Cell Phones and Devices
• Text Messages - Personal Cell Phones and Devices
• Text Message Guidance - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Exiting Employee Checklist

• Managing Records Throughout your Employment
• Accessibility Best Practices
• Agency Self-Assessment Checklist - can be used to prioritize work
• File Planning Guidance - including links to file plan templates
• Glossary of Records Management Terms
• Managing Records at Home
• Document Naming Conventions
• Standard Work Development - records management tips, consideration, best practices
• Transitory Records (PDF)

• Legal Hold Guidance

For information about adding records in Content Manager to a legal hold, refer to the Content Manager Job Aids.

• New Employee Checklist
• Records Management Key Takeaways for All Employees
• Records Management Key Takeaways for Supervisors and Managers
• Managing Records Throughout Your Employment

• Outlook/Email Best Practices
• Outlook Tools (including Rules, Categories, Empty Deleted Items, Search Folders, etc.)
• When to Save or Delete Emails

• Physical Records Overview
• Physical Records Checklist
• Records Center Box Packing Guide
• High-level inventory form (Excel) (Excel)
• Box-level inventory form (Excel)

Records Management Policies

• Management of King County Public Records INF-15-4-1-EP
• Records Management Compliance for Onboarding, Transferring, and Exiting Employees INF-15-5-1-EP
• Annexation Records Management INF-15-7-EP

Related Policies

• Using Electronic Signatures INF-14-3-EP
• Public Records Act Compliance INF-17-4-1-EP
• Legal Hold Procedures for Records and Other Documents LGL 15-1-1-EP

The Records Management Program also provides various resources on the development and implementation of Executive Branch Policies, Orders and Rules. For more information, visit the Policies, Orders and Rules Tools and Templates. 

• Tools and Resources Checklist
• File Inventory Review
• File Planning and Moving Files
• Dispositioning Records
• File Organization and Maintenance Plan