Records Retention Policies - Archives Office

Dear Parish and School Administrators,

As a new year begins, we are receiving an increase in calls from parish and school staff, who are starting their annual reviews of records to determine what still needs to be kept and what can be shredded or recycled. Some of the folks we’re talking with seem to be unaware of the records retention policies we’ve developed for Archdiocesan churches and schools, so I am sending out the web link to those documents (http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org/Ar.../policies.aspx) .

Our records retention schedules list every record series (category) likely to be found in parish and school offices. These are organized by business and pastoral functions. The schedules tell you how long each series must be kept and what to do with them at the end of that period (recycle, shred, or move to parish/school archives). Please make your colleagues aware of these schedules and always feel free to contact us if you have any questions about records administration!

Seth Dalby, Director
Archives & Records Management
Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
710 9th Avenue | Seattle, WA 98104
seth.dalby@seattlearch.org | 206.382.4352
www.SeattleArchdiocese.org/Archives