CIA CABLE REFERENCE FILE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00099A000200170014-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: November 25, 1968
• Content Type: MF

25 November 1968
MEMORANDUM FOR:
-DDP/RMO
DDS/RMO
DDI/RMO
DDS&T/RMO
SUBJECT : CIA Cable Reference File
REFERENCE : EX/DIR Memo dated 4 September 1968
Subject: Purge of Inactive Records
1. The purpose of this memorandum is to, a) survey the requirements
of Agency units for Cable Secretariat service from the reference file, b) to
determine a firm retention period for the paper copy portion of the file cover-
ing the period 1 July;1963 to present date, and, c) to. determine the desired
retention period for CIA cables placed in the reference file from this date.
The paper copy, file contains 1, 800, 000 cables and occupies approximately
700 cubic feet of storage space in the Records Center. The remainder of the
file is on microfilm, dating from 1941 through 30 June 1963 at which time
microfilming of CIA cables was discontinued for economy reasons.
2. Cable Secretariat's Vital Records Schedule provides for daily deposits
of all CIA IN and OUT cables. The copies are deposited as "Vital Records" for
one year; thereafter, the deposits are papered, as "Inactive Records" to be
retained for an additional 14 years.
a) A Management Staff memo to D/DCI dated 27 December 1954
concurred in by DDP, DDI, DDA, and approved by D/DCI 8 February 1955
is the authority for CIA cables being designated "Vital Records" for daily
deposits of paper copy.
b) The 15 year retention period for the file is a provision contained
in a Management Staff Study dated 3 April 1963 which recommended transfer'
of Signal Center Archives to the Cable, Secretariat. The recommendation
concurred in by D/COMMO and DDP was approved by EX/DIR on 25 May 1963.
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3. A study is being made to determine the cost and feasibility of
reverting to microfilm storage to relieve the critical space problem at the
Records Center. A decision to restore a microf Um nrewram will.
largely on the cost of the program and a confiri,-.c: 11i std =,~? ;:.}., r.E tcir.'t$ d
for reference service from the Cable SecretAr;..t:. T1...c s`e of 01e
paper copy file for the full 15 year retention is estimated at approximately.
2, 200 cubic feet. Should it be determined that a retention period in excess
of 15 years is desired, and the file is maintained in its present form, the
file could be expected to grow at an annual rate of 150 cubic feet. The 1963
Management Study estimated that "about $150, 000 could be saved by storing
cables in the Records Center for 15 years rather than microfilming for the
same amount of time. " Accordingly, will each of you indicate for your
Directorate:
c)
a) Your requirements for reference service (if none, please so
state);
b) The time span within which you will require retrieval of cables
(5 years old, 10 years, 15 years, etc.);
maintained;
]desired retention period for CIA cables irrespective of the
manner- (hard copy, microfilm, other) in which the file is'
To give you some idea of the time span of current cable retrieval, a breakdown'
of reference requests processed during October 1968 is attached.
Attachment
a/s
18109: CIA-RDP73-00099A0002001700-
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