Yes, Email Can Be an Official Record

As the State of Ohio begins its 136th General Assembly of the Ohio Legislature, the Ohio Electronic Records Committee would like to remind newly elected State Legislators of our Email Management Online Training Series. Training courses include Email As A Record; Email Clean-Up Strategies; Email Filing and Organization; and Microsoft 365 Outlook Email Management.

In these online courses, one will learn several things including, that “email itself is not a record series but should be retained based on the content of the message.” If the email serves as a record that “documents the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the office,” [ORC 149.011(G)] then it needs to be retained. Examples of records in email format can include: correspondence, personnel documentation, or project working papers. Often emails have attached documents with them. This training series helps one determine what is necessary to keep (email, email and attachment, or just the attachment) for different circumstances.

The amount of email one receives can be quite overwhelming. The Email Clean-Up and Email Filing and Organization training courses are both helpful and informative and can guide one through this difficult process in an efficient manner. Lastly, many governmental bodies, organizations, and businesses are now switching to Microsoft 365 Outlook Email. Steps for applying retention rules for Microsoft 365 Outlook emails are demonstrated using desktop and web applications in the training program, Microsoft 365 Outlook Email Management.

Please take some time to review these very informative courses. Good luck as you begin your endeavor in email management.

User Poll: Does your Organization use Microsoft 365?

The OhioERC would like to hear from you! With the growing use of Microsoft 365 (M365), we would like to find out how many of your agencies have adopted the software/service. There are so many M365 license options, the differences of which greatly impact how records retention and disposition can be applied within the applications. Your answers to these poll questions will help the OhioERC start planning for future guidance and resources.

Please answer the following questions:

Has your agency fully implemented Microsoft 365?
33 votes

Please watch the following video on how to find out which M365 license you have, then answer the following question:

What type of license do you have?
14 votes

OhioERC Available Trainings

Stay up to date on best practices in electronic records! The OhioERC has several trainings available for free.

  • Electronic Records Day Presentation: “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”: This presentation compares document management systems and digital preservation systems. We discuss major workflows used to future-proof permanent and long-term electronic records and their essential metadata. In addition, a Records and Archives Management case study from Greene County is shared to bring to light essential differences between document management and preservation systems.
  • Email Management Training Series: This email management training series provides information and best practices on managing email. The training series is divided into four sections: Email As A Record, Email Clean-up Strategies, Email Filing and Organization, and Microsoft 365 Outlook Email Management.
  • Social Media: The Records Management Challenge: This course provides an overview of social platforms and how government entities use those platforms; the records management aspect of social media; unique challenges associated with capturing and disposing of social media content; how to manage and respond to citizen interactions with government social media and the balancing act of being both of public employee and private citizen on social media. 

View our trainings/events page for these trainings and more!