RECORDS ADMINISTRATION PROBLEMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00402R000100320001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 2006
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 21, 1969
• Content Type: MF

rgved For Release 2006/12/15: CIA-RDP73-00402R0001a
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Records Administration Officer
1. From time to time you have asked me for ideas that would
help solve our problems. I do not have any new ideas; however, I
do have some observations that I will pass on for what they are
worth.
2. During the past 18 months there have been many papers written
on Records Administration in CIA. This interest and concern is the
direct result of the space problem at the A&RC. One of the main
points brought out in all of these papers is the need for a "total"
program. This total program needs to be a centralized program for
the entire Agency. A "total centralized" program will be a giant
step forward and have a direct effect on the space problem at the A&RC.
3. In the same papers there are proposals to decentralize and to
physically separate the storage functions. To me there is an incon-
sistency here. In the past 15 years the trend has been to centralize
all of the Agency's records storage functions into one organization
in one building. The logical organization for the storage of records:
Inactive, Vital, Archival or Supplemental Distribution, was the
Records Center organization - storage and service is our business.
The logical building for the storage of records was the Records Center
building - it was constructed for the sole purpose of storing records
and has been the most economical space available.
4. There is more to the history of the Records Center growth
than mere statistics. The Records Center building was completed in
March 1955. The volume in the Center at that time was only 18,816
cu. ft.; 8,797 cu. ft. Inactive Records and 10,019 cu. ft. Supple-
mental Distribution. In addition to this volume in the Center, there
were many accumulations of records throughout the Agency. DDP main-
tained its own Archives and Records; Communications stored its
inactive records in the DDP Center; CRS maintained all Top Secret
records, except those of DDP, and large collections of reference re-
cords; OCI maintained all codeword records; Personnel maintained the
inactive personnel files; Security maintained the inactive Security
am
 Approved For Release 2006/12/15: CIA-RDP73-00402R000100320001-8
C
files; OBGI maintained the extra copies of maps, and Supplemental
Distribution copies of reports were maintained by CRS, OER, OSI and
ONE. By the end of 1956 all of the above components were retiring
their records to the Records Center. With the transfer of these
records that were not planned for, the Records Center in 1957 had its
first space problem. However, the Agency had saved valuable space,
equipment and personnel in the Headquarters area.
5. To accommodate this increased use of the Records Center, the
DCI approved an addition to the building in 1957. Since 1957 the
trend to consolidate the records storage functions has continued.
The Supplemental Distribution copies of Agency produced maps formerly
maintained by OBGI were transferred to the Center in 1958; the Vital
Record Repository was transferred to the Center in 1959, primarily
because the Repository was out of space; and space was available in
the Center. The Top Secret Archives was discontinued in CRS, and the
records were transferred to the Center. These actions coupled with
new programs and new organization established in the Agency, such as
NPIC and DDS&T, created another space problem for the A&RC in 1967;
however, at the same time equipment and space as well as manpower
was made available for the Agency.
6. The point I have been trying to make is that the accumulation
of records in the A&RC has not been caused solely by the rapid growth
of CIA records or the indiscriminate retirement of useless records
to the A&RC. In short the A&RC has grown from a storage facility for
selected Agency Records classified through Secret to a facility for
the storage and servicing of all the Agency's Inactive Office Records,
Vital Records, Archives and Intelligence Reports of all classifications.
If the Records Center still operated on the same basis it did in
1955, there would not be a space problem now; however, there would be
an additional 50,000 cu. ft. of records in active office space requiring
equipment and personnel.
7. The Archives is an asset to the space problem rather than a
liability. Since the Archival work began in 1963, more than 5,000
cu. ft. of duplicate documents have been destroyed. Although no
official Archives has been established and no additional T/0 has
been approved to conduct Archival activities, we have been able to
divert manpower to this program. This has been possible only be-
cause all the records storage functions are under one roof and ser-
viced by the same staff of professional Records Center employees.
8. Storing Vital Records in a records center building is not
usually done or recommended; however, GSA does, when it is expedient,
store Vital Records in the Federal Record Centers and will give the
E
SECR
 Approved For Release 2006/12/15 :CIA-RDP73-00402R000100320001-8
T l
Vital Records special protection and special handling. One of the
main reasons the Agency Vital Records were moved to the Records
Center was that the Repository was out of space. By moving these
records to the Records Center building, the cost to add on to the
Repository was saved. Even if the proposed addition to the Reposi-
tory had been constructed in 1959, the Repository would have had
another space problem in 1967, and another addition would have been
needed. In addition to this cost avoidance the following savings
were realized: 1. Space was turned over to Communications for other
use, 2. One GS-12 position was eliminated and reassigned to Head-
quarters, and 3. Equipment valued at $44,100, including 73 safes,
was released. Still other savings have been realized by storing
the Vital Records as a part of an integrated records storage system.
Approximately 2,000 cu. ft. have been eliminated by using the "Built
in Dispersal" concept,-that is designating the Archival copy of cer-
tain documents to also serve as the Vital Record copy.
9. Supplemental Distribution (S.D.) is not a normal Records
Center function; in fact, GSA will not accept Supplemental Distribu-
tion in the Federal Record Centers. It is a function to be conducted
by the publishing Agency. As a publishing Agency, CIA is taking care
of its Supplemental Distribution. Since CIA maintains its own
Records Center, the logical place to store the Supplemental Distribu-
tion has been the Records Center. These publications are stored in
standard cardboard Records Center containers on standard Records
Center shelving, and the Center has applied Records Center procedures
in managing these publications. Over the years the Center has worked
with the various publishing components to establish stock levels and
to prepare disposition schedules that permit the orderly disposal of
the publications. The same savings that are realized from storing
Inactive records in the Records Center are realized from storing
Supplemental Distribution in the Center; and like the Vital Record
activity, Supplemental Distribution requires less personnel when it
is stored in the same building as the rest of the Agency records.
When a part of the S. D. was moved to another location, additional
personnel were required.
10. The consolidating of all four categories of records in a
single storage facility has been both practical and economical.
This policy has over the years saved the Agency a tremendous amount
of time, space and money, not only by removing the burden of storage
functions from the components but by eliminating duplication of rec-
ords and procedures. The A&RC has merged the four records storage
functions into a single system and has been able to absorb the storage
functions from the components without an increase in personnel. By
having all the records under one roof, we are able to service them
 Approved For Release 2006/12/15: CIA-RDP73-00402R000100320001-8
with a small staff of trained Records Center personnel who are
interchangeable between these functions. To reverse this policy
would increase the overall volume of records in storage and require
additional personnel.
11. It is certain that microminiturization and electronic
storage of data will play a much larger roll in the storage of rec-
ords in the near future; however, it is obvious that additional space
will be needed now. The moveable shelving, if installed, will provide
additional space so that we can continue to operate a centralized
storage facility. On the other hand, if additional space is needed,
it is my opinion that this space would be added to the present A&RC
building so that we can continue to offer the Agency an economical
centralized storage facility as a part of an overall "total" Records
Management program.
Deputy 7