ELECTRONIC RECORDKEEPING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89G00643R001100010005-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 21
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: February 11, 1987
• Content Type: MEMO

I _
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p.N
NationalArchives and
Records Administration I `0 ) I 87-1385X
NARA BULLETIN
NO. 87-5
1. Purpose. This bulletin re-issues the guidelines on managing
records created, stored, or transmitted using personal
computers, word processors or other electronic office equipment
contained in NARA Bulletin 85-2, "Electronic Recordkeeping,"
dated June 18, 1985.
3. Background. On May 13, 1986, NARA's Office of Records
Administration requested comments from agency records management
officers on the utility of NARA Bulletin 85-2 and GSA FIRMR,
Bulletin 23 which are identical. Five comments were received,
none of which were extensive or substantial. Based upon this
response, it is assumed that the information in the Bulletin is
meeting agency needs. Therefore, no changes have been made to
the Attachments.
4. Application. The creation, maintenance, and disposition of
all official records regardless of physical form is controlled
by the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33,
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regulations
in 36 CFR Ch. XII and the Federal Information Resources
Management Regulation (FIRMR) (41 CFR Ch. 201).
.all books, papers, maps, photographs, machine readable
materials, or other documentary materials, regardless of
physical form or characteristics, made or received by an agency
of the United States Government under Federal law or in
connection with the transaction of public business and preserved
or appropriate for preservation by that agency or its legitimate
successor as evidence of the organization, functions, policies,
decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the
Government or because of the informational value of data in
them. Library and museum material made or acquired and
preserved solely for reference or exhibition purposes, extra
copies of documents preserved only for convenience of reference,
and stocks of publications and of processed documents are not
included."
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February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
b. Agency heads are required to make and preserve records
containing adequate and proper documentation of the
organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and
essential transactions of the agency and designed to furnish the
information necessary to protect the legal and financial rights
of the Government, and of persons directly affected by the
agency's activities (44 U.S.C. 3101).
c. The Administrator of General Services is required by law
to "provide guidance and assistance to Federal agencies to
ensure economical and effective records management by such
agencies" (44 U.S.C. 2904).
d. The Archivist of the United States is required by law to
"provide guidance and assistance to Federal agencies with
respect to ensuring adequate and proper documentation of the
policies and transactions of the Federal Government and ensuring
proper records disposition" (44 U.S.C. 2904).
e. Agency heads are required to submit records disposition
schedules to the Archivist of the United States for approval.
No records may be destroyed without the authorization of the
Archivist (44 U.S.C. 3303, 3303a, 3314).
f. The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq.) calls for the coordination and integration of ADP,
telecommunications, and records management policies. All three
of the these disciplines are present in electronic recordkeeping
systems.
5. Agency action. Heads of Federal agencies should make
adequate plans for preserving and maintaining records that have
been created in electronic form; ensure that cost-effective,
adequate, and proper documentation of agency functions,
activities, and operations is created; and ensure that
appropriate internal practices and procedures are instituted to
prevent unauthorized access to, or loss, removal, or theft of,
official records created or acquired in electronic form. The
issues discussed in this bulletin should be addressed in the
agency 5-year ADP and telecommunications plans. Agencies should
incorporate in policy directives the issues discussed in the
attachments and should send copies of these directives to GSA
and NARA at the addresses in paragraph 6. Agencies that develop
solutions (procedural, technical, legal) to electronic
recordkeeping problems are encouraged to inform GSA and NARA, so
successes can be shared.
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 February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
1. General.
a. The increased use of personal computers and other
electronic office equipment results in more employees, ranging
from senior program officials to clerks, making decisions
concerning the maintenance, accessibility, and preservation of
information. To familiarize all these individuals with their new
responsibilities, agency administrators should undertake a major
training effort. The following guidelines represent a first step
in that direction.
b. These guidelines address a range of issues concerning the
creation, maintenance, disposition, and preservation of
electronically stored information. They offer few definitive
answers but they identify the problems and suggest possible
solutions. This guidance will be revised when experience shows
better solutions to the problems.
c. The guidelines in this attachment address the following
concerns:
Records creation practices,
Indexing electronic records,
Retrieval of electronically stored records,
Ensuring the retention of records,
Destruction of electronic records,
Electronic record standards,
Judicial use of records,
(8) Appropriate records storage medium,
(9) Security,
(10) Software for electronic systems,
(11) Equipment configuration, and
(12) Flexible disk care and handling.
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Attachment A
2. Records creation practices.
a. To retrieve information created and stored electronically,
the user is dependent upon labels, both external and internal.
Accurate and complete labels are essential for two major reasons:
to ensure that agency personnel can identify the contents of
individual disks and diskettes and that they can retrieve
information stored on them. Insufficient external labels result
in the inability to identify the contents of disks or diskettes.
A label such as, "Smith 5" or "Jane 3," generally is of use only
to the creators and sometimes not to them. Agency personnel
should be informed about the importance of accurate and specific
external labels for disks and diskettes. External labels should
include: title, dates, software, and file code and identification
of the equipment on which the records were created.
b. Some agencies may prefer to treat each diskette as a "file
drawer", containing similar documents. Others may reject this
approach because it requires that each time users begin work on a
different type of document, they must use a different diskette.
Regardless of how an agency chooses to store the information it
creates, accurate and complete external labels are necessary.
c. Agency personnel also need to use readily understandable
and standard internal document labels so that they, their
colleagues, and their successors can retrieve information which is
stored electronically. If staff members invent their own labeling
systems without communicating them to others, the information is
virtually inaccessible to everyone other than the creators and is
accessible to them only as long as they remember the scheme they
used.
d. There are some immediate actions that agencies can take.
Personnel should be instructed to use the agency's file code
headings and subheadings in labeling electronically created
records. They should be notified that every document must be
named, dated, and described and that these labels should be
accurate and sufficiently detailed to permit the user to retrieve
documents previously created. These descriptions should be
entered on the index of the diskette as part of the file title.
e. A possible future solution to the labeling problem, and
one that also will help avoid inadvertent destruction of records,
is to use software which requires that before a document can be
created, the user must list whether the item is a record, its file
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February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
6. GSA and NARA action. GSA will advise agencies concerning
the effective use of electronic records and NARA will advise
agencies concerning adequacy of documentation and disposition of
electronic records. Both agencies will serve as clearinghouses
for information on electronic records and will keep agencies
informed of their plans and progress in this area. Requests for
assistance and offers of information should be directed to:
National Archives and Records Administration
FTS 8-724-1453
Office of Records Administration (NI)
Washington, DC 20408
(202) 724-1453
General Services Administration
FTS 8-535-7429
Office of Innovative Office Systems (KO)
Information Resources Management Service
Washington, DC 20405
(202) 535-7429
a. Agency directives on electronic records management
received by the Office of Records Administration have
incorporated various segments from NARA Bulletin 85-2. Requests
for these directives should be addressed to the Records
Administration Information Center (NIA), Washington, DC 20408.
b. NARA and the General Services Administration are
developing regulations governing the management of electronic
records. Those regulations will be published in the Federal
Register for agency review and comments.
FRANK G. BURKE
Acting Archivist
3
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 February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
code, subject terms, and the date the document is created. This
information should reflect the agency's filing systems and records
control schedules. If a variety of application software is used
on the same machine, the operating system should also require the
user to identify which application software is used. In addition,
inactive records could be transferred automatically in the future
to a central storage facility.
f. A procedure such as this offers many advantages: it
alerts agency personnel to the necessity for retaining certain
categories of information, it facilitates the retrieval of
information since each document is indexed as it is created, and
it simplifies disposition since the identifying information is
tied to the agency's records control schedules. The value of such
a procedure depends, however, upon the accuracy and specificity of
the identifying information provided by the user. This
requirement for identifying information needs to be built into the
operating system. Therefore, this solution is feasible only for
those offices which are acquiring new systems. Because
implementing such a procedure incorporates both agency mission and
records management concerns, agency line managers and records
management staff should participate in the development of the
specifications.
3. Indexing electronic records.
a. Electronic records need to be indexed if they are going to
be retrieved. Sometimes system software provides a way to
accomplish this.
b. How complex the indexing system needs to be is a function
of the volume of records, how long the records must be retained,
and how familiar the persons retrieving the records are with the
records. Do not assume that since the current users are very
familiar with the records that no index or only a limited one is
needed. Consider the likely personnel turnover in the originating
office from the time the records are created until they are no
longer needed for current operations. Also consider what indexes
will be required by persons to whom the records may be transferred.
c. The electronic indexes should be able to assist in
locating the records based upon the characteristics of the
particular record. These would include such things as date,
subject, sender, receiver, and number (case, contract, purchase
order, etc.). How the index operates should be an easily
accessible part of the system documentation.
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February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
d. In addition to the electronic index to the records,
indexes to diskettes may be required. If the diskettes are
properly labeled, they may be largely self-indexing if there are
only a few of them. If there are more, the physical file of them
may need to be logically subdivided in order to aid
retrievability. Additionally, the diskette indexes should be
printed out to ensure easy access to them.
4. Retrieval of electronically stored records.
a. Agency personnel should be able to easily retrieve
electronically stored records until their authorized disposition.
This requirement is important when an agency upgrades its
automated system or replaces it with a new one. Records stored on
the old system should be converted, or the new system should be
designed, so that these records continue to be usable until their
authorized disposition date. One possibility is to design systems
that are compatible with a variety of other systems. An
alternative is to contract with a commercial service which will
convert records from one format to another.
b. Permanent records which are to be transferred to the
National Archives and Records Administration and which are stored
on disks or diskettes should be either converted to magnetic tape
(see 36 CFR 1228.188 (formerly FPMR ? 101-11.411-6)) or converted
to paper or microform. (Microforms should meet the standards in
36 CFR Part 1230 (formerly FPMR Subpart 101-11.5)). The first
alternative, although possibly more technically complicated, may
be of assistance to future users of the records particularly if
the records contain data which the user may want to manipulate.
NARA staff should be involved in the decision on the conversion
process and on the record sequence which would be in the best
interest of the Government.
5. Ensuring the retention of records.
a. The fact that information is created or stored
electronically has no bearing upon whether that information is
record or non-record. Record status is determined by the same
criteria for all information, regardless of the medium on which it
is created or stored. But, ensuring the retention of records
stored electronically is not as simple as ensuring the retention
of records stored on microform or paper.
b. The decision about whether an electronic document is a
record needs to be made much earlier than for paper because of the
ease of erasing or changing the record.
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 February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87 -5
Attachment A
c. The record status of electronically stored drafts of
policy documents should be re-evaluated as changes are made.
Substantive updates to such electronic records probably constitute
new records while minor changes probably do not.
d. Many electronic mail systems automatically erase
information after the recipient has read it. Therefore, agency
personnel should take positive action, at the time they receive
electronic messages, to retain any records received in this manner
in a medium which will satisfactorily store the record until its
disposition date. (Many electronic mail messages will not contain
enough substance to be considered records.)
e. If the same information is stored on more than one medium
(such as paper and disk), agencies, in consultation with NARA,
should schedule the disposition of all copies.
6. Destruction of electronic records.
a. As with paper records, electronic records can only be
destroyed according to an approved agency records control schedule
or a General Records Schedule. In addition, personnel should
follow the agency's established procedures for the systematic
destruction of records. However, there are certain considerations
agencies must address when destroying records stored
electronically. To destroy them, agencies must erase the disks or
tapes rather than merely telling the system to delete them. Only
by erasure or by using a program which will completely overwrite
the data to be destroyed can agencies protect against unauthorized
access to record information which has been approved for
destruction.
b. The compactness of electronic media may present additional
problems. These records may be stored in non-traditional
locations. Also, they do not present the space problems evident
with paper records. As a result of both phenomena, agency
personnel may become less diligent in destroying records at the
time of their authorized destruction. The failure to destroy
records in a timely manner will undermine the effectiveness of the
agency's records management program. Agency personnel also should
be aware that records which have been authorized for destruction
but which have not yet been destroyed may be subject to Freedom of
Information Act requests.
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NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
7. Electronic record standards.
a. The National Bureau of Standards (NBS) has issued the
following Federal Information Processing Standards Publications
(FIPS PUBS) that are particularly relevant to records creation,
storage, and transmission using personal computers or other
electronic office equipment. (Note.--FIPS PUBS with an asterisk
are mandatory standards that are (or will be) implemented in FIRMR
Part 201-8.)
(1) FIPS PUB 46*
(2) FIPS PUB 48
(3) FIPS PUB 51*
(4) FIPS PUB 52*
(5) FIPS PUB 54*
(6) FIPS PUB 65
(7) FIPS PUB 73
(8) FIPS PUB 74
(9) FIPS PUB 81*
(10) FIPS PUB 82
(11) FIPS PUB 83
(12) FIPS PUB 91*
Data Encryption Standard.
Guidelines on Evaluation of
Techniques for Automated Personnel
Identification.
Magnetic Tape Cassettes for
Information Interchange 3.8.10mm
(0.150 in) Tape of 32 BPMM (800 BDI)
Phase Encoded.
Recorded Magnetic Cartridge for
Information Interchange, 4-Track
(.30mm (0.250 in), (3 BPMM (1600
BDI), Phase Encoded.
Computer Output Microform (COM)
Formats and Reduction Ratios, 16mm
and 105mm.
Guideline for ADP Risk Analysis.
Guidelines for Security of Computer
Applications.
Guidelines for Implementing and using
The NBS Data Encryption Standard.
DES Modes of Operation.
Guideline for Inspection and Quality
Control for Alphanumeric Computer
Output Microform.
Guideline on User Authentication
Techniques for Computer Network
Access Control.
Magnetic Tape Cassettes for
Information Interchange, Dual Track
Complimentary Return-to-bias (CRB).
Four states Recording on 3.81mm
(0.150 in) tape.
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 NARA Bulletin
No. R7-5
Attachment A
(13)
FIPS PUB 93*
Parallel Recorded Magnetic
Cartridge for Information
Tape
Interchange, 4-Track, 6.30
(0.250
in) 63 BPMM (1600 SDI), Phase Encoded.
(14)
FIPS PUB 98*
Message Format for Computer-Based
Message Systems.
(15)
FIPS PUB 108*
Alphanumeric Computer Output
Microform Quality Test Slide.
b. In addition NBS is developing FIPS PUBS in the following
areas:
(1) Flexible disks. The following have been adopted by
the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and will
be processed as FIPS PUBS.
(a) 200 mm (8 inch) Flexible Disk Cartridge Track
Format Using Two-Frequency Recording at 6631 bits per radian
(bprad) on One Side - 1.9 tracks per millimeter (tpmm) (48 tracks
per inch (tpi)) for Information Interchange.
(b) 200 mm (8 inch) Flexible Disk Cartridge Track
Format Using Modified Frequency Modulation Recording at 13262
bprad on Two Sides - 1.9 tpmm (48 tpi) for Information Interchange.
(c) 130 mm (5.25 inch) Flexible Disk Cartridge Track
Format Using Two - Frequency Recording at 3979 bprad on One Side -
1.9 tpmm (48 tpi) for Information Interchange.
(d) 130 mm (5.25 inch) Flexible Disk Cartridge Track
Format Using Modified Frequency Modulation Recording at 7958 bprad
on Two Sides - 1.9 tpmm (48 tpi) for Information Interchange.
(2) Labeling and file structure.
(a) Standard for flexible disk cartridges based on
an ISO standard. A FIPS PUB will probably be issued when the
current draft standard completes the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) review and approval process.
(b) Data descriptive file standard, which will
address structuring data on any medium.
(3) Document interchange format. The specifications,
which are being tested by the Department of the Navy, have been
submitted to an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Committee for review and processing.
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February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
(4) Local area network standards. Standards for carrier
sense multiple access with collision detection have been
completed. The standards listed below are undergoing final review
and will be issued as FIPS PUBS. NBS is also continuing to work
on standards for other access methods including token bus and
token ring.
(a) IEEE 802.2 Type 1 class 1 Logical Link Control.
(b) IEEE 802.3 Carrier Sense Multiple Access with
Collision Detection.
8. Judicial use of records.
a. Properly created and maintained computer based records
pose no greater legal problems than do paper or microphotographic
records unless there are specific statutory or regulatory
requirements for paper records (as may be the case with certain
medical records, for example). The Federal Rules of Evidence
(Rule 803(8)) provide that official records may be admitted as
evidence in lieu of the personal appearance of the official
responsible for the activity. The text of the rule is:
"The following are not excluded by the hearsay rule, even though
the declarant is available as a witness:
. (8) Public records and reports.--Records, reports,
statements, or data compilations, in any form, of public offices
or agencies, setting forth (A) the activities of the office or
agency, or (B) matters observed pursuant to duty imposed by law as
to which matters there was a duty to report, excluding, however,
in criminal cases matters observed by police officers and other
law enforcement personnel, or (C) in civil actions and proceedings
and against the Government in criminal cases, factual findings
resulting from an investigation made pursuant to authority granted
by law, unless the sources of information or other circumstances
indicate lack of trustworthiness."
b. Under this rule, if the only record is electronic,
agencies will need to ensure that procedures are established and
followed so that (1) the date of the record can be determined, (2)
the date of any alterations will be automatically recorded by the
system, and (3) it will be evident that the document was
authorized to be issued ("signed") by an appropriate agency
official. If these steps are not taken, the trustworthiness of
the record could easily be called into question and it could be
refused as evidence. Contact your agency counsel for specific
advice.
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 February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
9. Appropriate record storage medium. Records may be stored on a
variety of media including paper, microfilm, magnetic tape or
discs, and optical digital data disks. Each medium has
characteristics that may make it suitable or unsuitable depending
upon the requirements. The characteristics are shown in
Attachment B.
a. Agencies should ensure that the medium and system chosen
to store records are compatible with at least the following
requirements:
(1) Need to quickly retrieve the information.
(2) Need for more than one person to have the information
simultaneously.
(3) Need to retain the information until the authorized
disposition date.
b. During the time the information must be retained it may be
desirable or necessary to transfer it from one medium to another
to: reduce costs, continue to have the information available,
enhance the usefulness of the information, or to ensure the
long-term preservation of the information.
c. Conversion projects should be undertaken only after
considering the points below. If records are converted, care must
be taken to ensure that the new records accurately reflect the
information in the old ones.
(1) Will the information be easier to use?
(2) Will new equipment be required?
(3) Will the conversion result in more cost-effective
information management?
(4)
affected?
Will the ability to process the information be
(5)
Will the exchange of information be affected?
(6)
Will the integrity of the records be enhanced?
(7) Will the new medium be satisfactory to NARA for
permanent records? (see 36 CFR Part 1230 (formerly FPMR Subpart
101-11.5) for microfilm and 36 CFR 1228.188 (formerly
FPMR ? 101-11.411-6) for magnetic media). NARA does not accept
such records on diskettes.
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February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
10. Security. Special precautions may need to be taken to ensure
the security of data stored electronically. Before developing
solutions, however, agencies should determine the degree of risk.
This can be done by following established risk management
techniques, keeping a reasonable ratio between the cost of the
risk management study and the likely risk to be identified. The
following items need to be considered:
a. Poor quality electrical power may cause equipment to
malfunction and affect the electronic records. Check with your
facilities manager to see what steps need to be taken to prevent
problems of this type. Some problems can be solved with
inexpensive devices. More serious problems may require additional
electrical circuits.
b. Cleanliness of equipment and magnetic media can affect
the records. See paragraph 13 for suggestions.
c. Procedures for using the equipment and the records may
need to be examined to ensure that only authorized persons have
access. The provisions of the Privacy Act and the protection of
sensitive information should particularly be considered. Problems
identified may be solved by limiting physical access or by
encrypting the data.
11. Software for electronic systems. The software for an
electronic recordkeeping system is one of the most important
elements in determining the success or failure of such a system.
If an agency purchases off-the-shelf software, (the preferred
approach, where feasible) the purchaser should include records
management concerns when assessing the usefulness of a particular
system. If an agency develops its own software, agency records
officials should contribute to the development of the software
specifications. The following considerations will help agency
personnel evaluate the records management components of particular
software systems.
a. Information stored on the current system must be usable
or convertible so that it may be used on the new one.
b. Control procedures to ensure the security of information
should be developed without significantly hampering legitimate
access to information.
c. Mandatory identifying information should be incorporated
in a manner easily used by records creators.
d. The system must be able to accommodate the data
transportability specifications for those permanent records which
will be transferred to NARA (see 36 CFR 1228.188).
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 February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
12. Equipment configuration. In deciding whether to install
stand-alone or networked equipment, agencies should consider the
costs and benefits associated with the two approaches. The
initial capital outlay may be lower for stand-alone equipment.
However, the network approach will provide operational benefits
such as the ability to communicate using electronic mail, easier
control of application software, and more cost-effective use of
such peripheral equipment as large files and printers. It will
also provide a relatively easy way to address problems such as
organizational records accessibility, standard software and
procedures, and storing medium-term records (2 yrs. - 7 yrs.) on
equipment other than flexible disk. In the future it may be
possible to easily transfer permanent records to the National
Archives if such networks are available. When the above factors
are considered, agencies will generally find networks more cost
effective than stand-alone equipment to satisfy requirements of
the work group.
13. Flexible Disk Care and Handling.
a. Media cleanliness is important. Maintain a clean working
environment. Contamination of the flexible disk surface is a
serious cause of data losses. Finger oil, smoke, food and drinks,
abrasive materials (such as dust or filings), pencil eraser
debris, etc., are typical contaminants. Read/write heads last
longer when used with clean media.
b. Never make finger contact with the exposed media surface
through the elongated, oval slot in the envelope where the
head-to-disk access (contact) is made. Also avoid touching the
exposed media surface area near the hub. These slotted regions
offer access to the media surfaces by contaminants particularly
fingerprint oils and dirt. Some of the new state-of-the-art
micro-sized flexible disks which have 76 mm (3.0 in) to 102 mm
(4.0 in) diameters have automatic shutter mechanisms which have
been designed to prevent this finger contact problem.
c. Clean the flexible disk drive regularly, particularly at
its insertion slot position. Dirt and dust can be picked up by
the disk during insertion.
d. Clean the read/write heads on a regular basis.
(Note.--Some flexible disk head and drive manufacturers will
invalidate their warranties if some types of head cleaners are
used. Contact individual manufacturers for head cleaning
information.)
(1) Dilute isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free swab will
clean contaminants from the head. Exert minimum force on the
delicate tension springs.
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Attachment A
(2) Cleaning kits are available which employ flexible
disks made of a special material as the rotating media rather than
the magnetic media of the regular disks. The cleaning material is
either run dry or is wetted with a cleaning fluid; the head is
then lowered onto the surface and cleaned under rotation.
(3) One kit manufacturer suggests two cleanings per
week, another suggests a cleaning after each 40 operational hours,
while others recommend a daily cleaning. Others suggest cleaning
the flexible disk as soon as data errors appear.
e.
Always
return the flexible disk into its protective
envelope
after
it is used. This prevents contamination and
'
physical
damage
t
to the media. Don't lose the envelope. Don
scatter
the disks around on table tops and desks in a random
fashion.
f. Don't flex or fold the flexible disks. Avoid bending the
disk when loading into or extracting it from the drive. Although
the envelope may recover, the internal media may be damaged
permanently; a warped disk does not rotate properly. There are
new micro-sized flexible disks which are enclosed in rigid plastic
envelopes which do not bend or flex.
g. Don't put a rubber band or a paper clip onto the flexible
disk envelope. The rubber band may cause the disk to remain bent
permanently after long-term storage. The paper clip may emboss
the media and cause permanent data losses due to head-to-media
separation.
h. Always write on the label before it is applied to the
disk. However, if the original label is used, do not write on it
with a ball point pen; use a soft, fiber tipped pen. A ball point
pen can emboss the surface of the disk and cause permanent surface
defects and data losses.
i. Never erase the label on a flexible disk cartridge. Cross
out previous information; remove and replace label when full.
Erasure can be a source of contamination. In fact, don't write on
the label with a lead pencil. Don't paste a new label over the
old label and do not cover any flexible disk holes with the new
label.
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 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
j. Except as indicated in (2) through (7) below, the following
environmental standards apply to the operation, storage, and
transportation of flexible disk cartridges.
(1) General
(a) Operating and Storage.
Temperature: 50OF to 1250F (10.O?C to
51.6?C).
Relative Humidity (RH): 8% to 80%.
Wet bulb reading: Not to exceed 850F (29.4?C).
(b) Transportation.
Temperature: -40OF to 1250F (-40.O?C to
51.6?C).
(2) 200 mm (8-inch) flexible disk cartridge (single-sided,
48 tracks per inch t i
(a) Operating and Storage.
Condition at least one hour before operating.
(Note.--Condition the disk in the same environment in which the disk
drive is operating. There shall be no moisture in or outside the
cartridge.)
(b) Further information.
Refer to ANSI X3.73-1980.
(3) 200 mm (8-inch) flexible disk cartridge (double-sided,
(a) Operating and Storage.
Condition at least 24 hours before operating. Rate
of temperature change is not to exceed 36oF
(20?C) per hour.
(b) Transportation.
No specification for relative humidity.
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February 11, 1987
NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
(c) Further information.
Refer to ANSI X3.121-1984.
(4) 130 mm (5-1/4 in) flexible disk cartridge single-sided).
(a) Operating and Storage.
Condition at least one hour before operating.
(b) Transportation.
No specification for relative humidity.
(c) Further information.
Refer to ANSI X3.82-1980.
(5) 130 mm (5-1/4 inch) flexible disk cartridge (two-sided,
double density, 48 tpi).
(a) Operating and Storage.
Condition at least 24 hours before operation. Rate
of temperature change shall not exceed 360F
(20?C) per hour.
(b) Further information.
Refer to ANSI X3.125-1984.
(6) 130 mm (5-1/4 inch) flexible disk cartridge (double-
sided, 96 tpi).
(a) Operating and Storage.
Temperature: 50?F to 115?F (10.0?C to
46.10C).
RH: 20% to 80%.
Wet bulb reading: Not to exceed 80?F (26.6?C).
Condition at least 24 hours before operating. Rate
of temperature change shall not exceed 36?F
(20?C) per hour.
(b) Further information.
Refer to ANSI X3.126-1985 (to be published).
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 February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87 -5
Attachment A
(7) 90 mm (3-1/2 in) flexible disk cartridge.
(a) Operating.
Temperature: 50OF to 140OF (10?C to 60?C).
Rate of temperature change shall not exceed 360F
(20?C) per hour.
(b) Storage.
Temperature: 39.2?F to 127.4?F (4?C to 53?C).
RH: 8% to 907
(c) Transportation.
Temperature: -40OF to 140OF (-40?C to 60?C).
(d) Further information.
Refer to X3B8/84-201, a document of the X3B8 Standards
Committee on flexible disks.
k. Failure to observe the temperature and humidity (T-H)
guidelines in paragraph 13j can result in media damage. Be careful
about the storage location. Acceptable temperatures and humidities
are normally maintained in an operating area such as an office.
However, the temperatures in a closed, hot, stationary, automobile in
the sunlight may exceed the upper limits. Excessively cold
temperatures may make these disks rigid. Acclimatize these affected
disks in a normal T-H environment for several hours before using.
Don't use a flexible disk as a place mat.
1. Discontinue the use and acquisition of flexible disks which
appear to shed excess debris and cause rapid head wear. They may
have abrasive surfaces which create considerable friction and heat
and usually have short operating lives. The wear rate for a flexible
disk compared to a computer tape is accelerated by the fact that the
disk heads will pass over and make contact with the same point on the
disk surface typically five to six times per second. A rapid
decrease in the disk signal level may indicate a rapidly wearing disk
surface. Built-in disk coating lubricants reduce this wear effect.
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February 11, 1987
NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
M. Never place a magnet of any kind onto the envelope surface
of a flexible disk cartridge. These include typical bar magnets
found in offices, coat and picture hanger magnets, flashlight
magnets, magnetized screwdrivers, etc. Keep magnets at least 76
mm (3.0 in) away from recorded disks. This applies to both rigid
and flexible disks. Exercise complete control over magnets in the
office and the data processing workplace.
n. The flexible disk cartridges should be stored in a
vertical position in a storage container.
(1) The vertically stored disks should be supported by
the container so that they cannot lean or sag. Make certain that
no pressure is exerted against the disk envelopes.
(2) For safest storage, do not use a cardboard container;
use a more rigid type, such as a hard plastic unit.
o. Should reinforcing flexible disk hub rings be installed by
the user?
(1) Special rings have been developed for the purpose of
reducing both the slippage of the flexible disk and inner media
hole damage under rotational conditions. At present, the question
of the efficacy of these user-installed rings and their possible
deleterious effects is unresolved for the larger diameter 203 mm
(8.0 in) and 133 mm (5.25 in) flexible disks.
(2) Micro-disks with 76 mm (3.0 in) to 102 mm (4.0 in)
diameters, which have recently been introduced into the market,
are manufactured with a rigid hub material adhesively bound to the
mylar surface. These appear to eliminate the need for these
user-installed hub rings.
p. Maintain a schedule for checking, cleaning, or replacing
associated air filters. Dirt causes data losses and media damage.
q. Use the proper type of tab to cover the write protect
notch on the disk envelope. Don't use any tab material which
leaves a sticky residue; use the tabs which are supplied with the
disks.
r. Make copies of vital or master flexible disks and store in
alternate locations. Do this as soon as possible before problems
arise.
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 February 11, 1987 NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment A
s. Electrical discharges produced by static electricity
cannot damage or alter the data which has been correctly recorded
and stored on the flexible disks. However, electrical noise
produced by arcing due to static electricity, may induce unwanted
pulses into the sensitive electronic system.
L. Inspect and replace worn head pads if necessary. A worn
pad may cause rapid debris formation and a change in signal level.
U. For additional detail see:
(1) Care and Handling of Computer Magnetic Storage
Media. NBS Special Publication 500-101, June 1983, National
Bureau of Standards, Department of Commerce. For sale by The
Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402 order number: SN 003-003-02486-4.
(2) FIRMR ? 201-34.006 and NARA regulations (36 CFR Ch.
XII) which furnish guidelines on the care and handling of magnetic
computer tape.
17
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 1. Life
expectancy
2. Acceptable
for transfer
of permanent
records to
NARA?
3. Special
equipment
required
to read?
4. Data easy
to alter
unnoticed?
5. Data may be
easily acci-
dentally
destroyed.
6. Complex
indexing
easily
accomplished?
7. Data easy
to retrieve?
NARA Bulletin No. 87-5
Attachment D
Paper Microform
Very good Very good
if paper quality, if properly
ink, and storage processed and
conditions stored.
are good. (70- (Silver - 100s
100 yrs.) of years)
(Diazo and
vesicular -
100 years)
Yes Yes, if silver
halide
Yes for normal
operation.
Simple optics
will suffice
in emergencies.
Medium
Magnetic* Optical digital
Tape Diskette data disk (read only)
Good. Subject
to equipment
malfunction
or magnetic
erasure.
(10-12 yrs.
with periodic
exercising)
Good; subject Mfgrs. claims
to equipment are 10 yrs.
malfunction or
magnetic
erasure (10-
15 yrs.)
No (Yes, if
Yes, with
Yes, with
Yes, with
computer
special
special
special
assisted
software
software
software
retrieval
system is
used)
Volume
Small - Yes
Depends upon
Yes, if
Yes, if
Yes, if
Large - No
indexing &
properly
properly
properly
labeling
indexed
indexed
indexed
scheme. Computer
assisted retrieval
very helpful for
large collections
8. Data easy
to elect-
ronically
process
after
retrieval?
Yes Machine
readable - Yes
Raster scan - No