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SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE RECORDS MANAGEMENT MANUAL: 2005 Version

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ANNEX C

NAS Document Handling Guidance (TO BE REVISED)

INFORMATION AND REGULATIONS FOR RETRANSMITTED FILES

This leaflet provides guidance to Scottish Executive staff requesting departmental files to be retransmitted into their temporary keeping for business purposes.

The National Archives of Scotland ( NAS) is the government agency entrusted with the preservation of the public records of Scotland and with making them accessible to the public. Many paper documents are already in fragile condition when they reach the NAS and further handling directly affects the life expectancy of such material and increases the aging process. We ask, therefore, that all files and documents temporarily retransmitted to you be handled as carefully as possible while they are in your keeping in order to help us preserve them for use by future generations.

In particular, please observe the following advice when consulting archive material -

  • Make sure that your hands are clean
  • Use only pencil when taking notes from a file
  • Do not eat, drink or smoke near a file
  • Use only acid free bookmarks (provided). Do not use post-it notes as markers
  • Do not remove documents from the files
  • Do not mark the documents in any way
  • Never employ correction fluid on an original document
  • Be careful and vigilant when making photocopies from files. Rough handling can cause documents to become loose and may lead to them becoming lost or misplaced
  • Ensure that files are properly stored in a secure and risk free environment

NB: where data protection requires a redaction exercise to protect individuals named in a file which is to be made available for inspection, a photocopy must be used for this purpose. The original document must not be marked or changed in any way.

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Page updated: Monday, August 15, 2005