4.4 Records Retention

The Wadsworth Ella M. Everhard Public Library, like other public entities in the State of Ohio, must retain certain records from year to year. Although the Ohio Revised Code does not set guidelines for public libraries, the Board of Trustees of the Wadsworth Public Library adopts the following policy for records retention:

Records shall fall into two categories: Permanent and Non-Permanent. Retention of records may be any commercially viable media that provides an accurate reproduction of the record. The following list shows the retention period of specific records, which is compiled from recommendations from the Auditor of State's Office and the Ohio Historical Society.

Permanent

Annual Financial Report to the Auditor of State

Annual State Library Report

Audit Reports from the Auditor of State

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

Board of Trustees Meeting Packets

Building Blueprints

Building Specifications, Plans and Projects Records

Construction Contracts

Disaster and Pandemic Plans and Emergency Procedures (Most recent revision)

Employee Personnel Files (Purge extraneous records 2 years after termination)

Formal Legal Opinions

Historical Files

Intellectual Freedom Correspondence

Library Newsletters

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System Personal History Records

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System Reports

Operating Procedures (Most recent revision)

Partnership Agreements

Payroll Records

Payroll Tax Records

Strategic Plans

Technology Plan (Most recent revision)

W-2 Forms

Non-Permanent	Retention Period
1099 Forms (Paper)	7 years
1099 Forms (Electronic)	Permanent, until software replaced
Accident/Incident Reports	5 years, provided no pending action
Accounts Receivable Documentation	5 years, provided audited
Accounts Payable Documentation	5 years, provided audited
Administrative Policies and Procedure Files	1 year after superseded
Amended Official Certificates from the County Budget Commission	5 years, provided audited
Annual Appropriations Resolutions	5 years, provided audited
Annual Budget Requests filed with the County Budget Commission	5 years, provided audited
Annual Certificate of Estimated Resources	5 years, provided audited
Annual PLF Distributions & Apportionment of Tax Revenues	5 years, provided audited
Applications for Employment	Retain with personnel files if applicant employed; others 1 year
Appropriations Ledgers	5 years, provided audited
Asset Disposal Forms	5 years, provided audited
New Asset and Asset Transfer Forms	Until asset is disposed of
Bank Deposit Receipts	Until audited
Bank Statements	5 years, provided audited
Bids — Successful	15 years after completion or expiration of contract
Bids — Unsuccessful	4 years after Letting of Contract, provided audited
Board of Trustees Applications	1 year
Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes (Drafts)	Until approved for Permanent Records
Board of Trustees Meeting Packets (Electronic)	5 years, provided audited
Board of Trustees Policies	1 year after superseded
Cancelled Checks	5 years, provided audited
Cash Journals	5 years, provided audited
Cash Register Tapes	Until audited
Certificates of Total Amount From All Sources Available for Expenditures	5 years, provided audited
Check Registers	5 years, provided audited
Committee Reports (Staff)	1 year
Construction Contracts (Electronic)	Permanent, or until software replaced
Consultant & Survey Reports	5 years
Correspondence/Messages (Executive correspondence; personnel, fiscal, policy information)	2 years, appraise for historical value
Correspondence/Messages (Minutes or internal/staff meetings documenting decision-making decisions)	2 years
Correspondence/Messages (General correspondence, misc. inquiries, ongoing project updates)	1 year
Court Orders for Payroll Deductions	2 years after termination of employee or order rescinded
Daily Cash Receipts Documents	5 years, provided audited
Deferred Compensation Deduction Reports	5 years, provided audited
Depository Agreements & Related Pledged Collateral	5 years, provided audited
Direct Deposit Authorizations	Until superseded or termination of employment
Employee Manuals (Personnel Policies)	Until superseded
Employee Medical/Dental/Vision Applications and Records (Retained separately from personnel files)	7 years after termination of employment
Employee Leave/Use Balance Reports	5 years, provided audited
Employee Requests for Leave	Until audited
Employee Schedules	Fiscal year plus 2 years
Employee Tax Withholding Requests: Federal and State	Until superseded or termination of employment
Encumbrance and Expenditure Journal	5 years, provided audited
FSA & HSA Deduction Reports	5 years, provided audited
Garnishment Orders	2 years after termination of employment or order rescinded
Gift Donor Forms	3 years
Grant Files	5 years, provided all audits conducted and audit reports released
I-9 Immigration Verification Forms (Retained separately from personnel files)	1 year after termination of employment
Inter-Library Loan Records	30 days, unless financial obligations
Insurance Policies	2 years after expiration, provided all claims have been settled
Inventories (Excluding library materials)	Until superseded
Investment Documents	5 years, provided audited
Invoices (Accounts Receivable)	5 years, provided audited
Job Descriptions	Until superseded
Job Postings/Advertisements	1 year, if no action pending
Leases - Equipment	2 years after expiration
Levy Campaign Documents and Work Papers	Life of Levy plus 5 years
Levy Official Files	Life of Levy plus 5 years
Library Card Applications	Until entered into the library’s automation system
Library Materials Inventories	Maintained online; until superseded
Library News Releases	Until of no administrative value
Litigation Records	5 years after case is closed and appeals exhausted
Lost Materials/Fine Records	Removed from patron history once paid
Misc. Accounting Records, not specified	5 years, provided audited
Operating Procedures	Once superseded
Patron Information/Records	2 years after expiration, provided no outstanding fines and fees
Payroll Audit Reports	Until audited
Payroll Deduction Authorizations	Until superseded or employment terminated
Petty Cash Records	5 years, provided audited
Prevailing Wages Records	5 years, provided audited
Public Officials’ Bonds	2 years after expiration, provided all claims settled
Public Records Requests	2 years
Purchase Orders & Requisitions	2 years, provided audited
Real Property Acquisition Records	5 years after asset is sold
Receipt Books	Until audited
Receipt Journals	5 years, provided audited
Records Commission/Records Disposal Documents	10 years
Safety Manual	Until superseded
Security Camera Footage	1 Months, automatically rerecords
Security Manual	Until superseded
Service Contracts	12 years after expiration
Service Contracts (Electronic)	Until software replaced or contract superseded
Software	Destroy when obsolete
Strategic Plan (Electronic)	Permanent, most recent revision
Tech Devices Checkout Agreements	Until expired and equipment returned in good condition and fine free
Technology Plan (Electronic)	Permanent, most recent revision
Time Sheets	5 years, provided audited
Time Sheets (Electronic)	Until printed and submitted to Payroll
Transient Material (All informal and/or temporary messages and notes; including e-mail and voice mail messages, and all drafts used in the production of public records)	Discretionary; retain until no longer of administrative value
Unemployment Compensation Claims	5 years, provided audited
Vehicle Maintenance Records	Life of vehicle or until sold
Vouchers with Invoices	5 years, provided audited
W-9 Forms	5 years, provided audited
Workers' Compensation Claims	7 years after termination of employment

Regardless of format, electronic back-ups of any of the above referenced records shall follow the same retention period as paper records, if not defined above.

“Until Audited” and “Provided Audited” is defined as the Auditor of State, or other contracted auditors, have audited the fiscal years encompassed and the audit report has been duly released.