PURGE OF INACTIVE RECORDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00099A000200170035-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 2, 2001
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: September 11, 1968
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2001/08/09 : CI R H0099A000200170035-2
11 September 1968
MEMORANDUM FOR: CIA Records Management Board
SUBJECT : Purge of Inactive Records
REFERENCE : Memo dated 4 September 1968 to Cable Secretariat
from Executive Director/Comptroller, Same Subject
25X1A 1. Deputy Gable Secretary, is appointed as the Cable
Secretaria icer responsible for supervising the purge of inactive records
for which the Cable Secretariat is responsible.
2. The Cable Secretariat has deposited a total of 784 cubic feet of inactive
records during the period July 1963 when we assumed responsibility for cable
archives to present date. These records consist entirely of CIA cable files
dating from the period 1945-46 when CIA was established as a permanent
Agency. The Cable Secretariat, as a component element of the O/DCI has
created no records of its own in sufficient volume to have warranted their
retirement as inactive records. Accordingly, we have no inactive records
of our own on deposit at the Record Center to review or purge. As the
Administrator for the Agency Cable Archives, we maintain cable files to ser-
vice requests for copies of cables not available at headquarters. We service
an average of 650 such requests each month. In light of this our participation
in the purge program appears to be limited to exploring with the offices
concerned, ways and means of reducing the volume of present and future
holdings of Agency Cable Archives.
3. No reduction of Cable Secretariat holdings has been achieved during
this initial reporting period. A detailed description of the cable file follows:
a. DCI Cable Reference File covering the period April 1953/June 1962.
This is a microfilm file measuring six cubic feet of cables selected for the
DCI and is approved in our Records Control Schedule for permanent retention
as a vital record.
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b. DCI Cable Reference File covering the period July 1962/July 1966.
This is a paper copy continuation of the microfilm file (a above) measuring
28 cubic feet and is approved for permanent retention as both a vital record
and inactive record. This file is scheduled to grow at the rate of five to six
cubic feet per year.
c. CIA Cable Reference File covering the period 1945-46 thru June
1963 is on microfilm measuring 65 cubic feet and is approved for permanent
retention both as a vital and inactive record.
d. CIA Cable Reference File covering the period July 1963 to present.
This is a paper copy continuation of the microfilm file (c above) measuring
685 cubic feet and is approved for temporary retention both as a vital and
inactive record for a period of fifteen years. This file is scheduled to grow
at the rate of 140 to 150 cubic feet per year for the nextten years.
4. Areas of possible future reduction in cable files are indicated below
and are keyed to paragraph 3 above:
a. DCI microfilm file - six cubic feet - no reduction possible.
b. DCI paper copy file - 28 cubic feet - reduce future annual deposits
from five to six cubic feet to less than one
foot by resuming the microfilm program.
c. CIA cable file - 65 cubic feet - no reduction possible.
d. CIA cable file - 685 cubic feet. (1) Reduce annual deposit from
150 cubic feet to 40 cubic feet by resuming the
microfilming program; (2) Reduce present holding
from 685 cubic feet to 85 cubic feet by converting
paper copy file to microfilm; (3) Reduce 15 year
retention time.
5. I have directed to consult with representatives of the
DDP, the DDI, the DDS&T, and the DDS including the Records Management
Staff to determine a retention period for the CIA Cable Reference File to meet
the needs of the Agency as a whole. The Records Management study which
resulted in the transfer of the Cable File to Cable Secretariat in 1963 estab-
lished a retention period of 15 years. Our experience since then demonstrates
that the file is of primary interest to DDP operating units who are currently
requesting an average of 650 copies a month from this file. The requests
Approved For Release 2001/08/09 : CIA-RDP73-00099A000200170035-2
 Approved For Release 2001/08/09
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certify that copies are not available in the DDP records system. DDI, DDS,
and DDS&T units combined request service from the file infrequently and
originate less than 2% of all requests received. The feasibility of resuming
our microfilm system will be studied in consultation with the Records
Management Staff.
Cable Secretary
SECRET
Approved For Release 2001/08/09 : CIA-RDP73-00099AO00200170035-2