Records Management Policy

This policy applies to physical and electronic records that are created or received by the Library Board, employees or volunteers of HPL, including records received from external sources, in the course of carrying out library business.

This policy does not apply to digital or physical materials acquired for public collections, or to historical and archival items acquired for the Local History and Archives collections

• Records will be managed to ensure they are available, accessible, and maintained to support operations and to meet legislative requirements.

• Records (permanent, archival, official, and transitory) will be retained, preserved, protected, secured and disposed of appropriately.

• The CEO/ Chief Librarian and the Directors are accountable and responsible for the administration of, and compliance with, the Records Management Program.

Limited collection: Where there is no legislative requirement to retain records or there is no compelling business reason to do so, HPL will limit its collection of information and what is contained in records.

Hamilton Public Library will ensure that all records created by the library or in its custody are:  

• Available, accessible and maintained to support management and strategic decision-making and to meet operational and legislative requirements; 

• Secured and properly protected against damage or unauthorized access; 

• Retained and not destroyed before the defined retention periods;  

• Disposed of in accordance with established retention schedules; and destroyed in a secure manner that considers confidentiality requirements. 

Scope 

This policy applies to the life cycle of all records in all formats, digital or physical, and will be applied consistently across all media.

This policy applies to all records created and/or used by the Board, employees of the Library and volunteers. It also applies to records from external sources such as other governmental bodies, businesses and the public when such records are maintained by the Library as a part of its administrative and operational functions.

This policy does not apply to items in the Library’s digital or physical materials collections acquired solely for use by the public.

This policy does not apply to historical and archival materials or items acquired by the Library as part of its Local History and Archives collections.

Accountability- Roles and Responsibilities 

The CEO/Chief Librarian is responsible for ensuring that records management requirements are met and reflect the library's policies and priorities.

The Director, Digital Technology and Creation, oversees the general administration of the digital record management, including implementing systems that ensure the security, accuracy, and integrity of records.

Directors and Managers ensure compliance and administration of their respective records series as defined in the retention schedule.

Employees, including volunteers, shall create and manage records in accordance with this Policy, the retention schedule, and any applicable policies, procedures, or standards.

Protection of Records

Records that are private, confidential, privileged, or essential to business continuity and disaster recovery will be identified and protected with appropriate security measures. All electronic records are stored securely on servers managed under HPL’s infrastructure.

Retention and Disposition of Records

In its retention schedule, the Hamilton Public Library identifies and maintains records according to legal, regulatory, contractual, fiscal, historical, and business requirements.

Records that have reached the end of their retention period and are no longer needed for another valid reason will not be retained and will be destroyed in a secure and confidential manner in accordance with established procedures.

Transitory records, unless they have become necessary for legal or administrative purposes, will not be retained and will be destroyed.

Records that are classified as permanent or archival records have long-term value to the library, as such, they will be preserved and protected to ensure their safety, availability, and recovery in accordance with their disposition in the retention schedule.

Records will not be retained beyond their retention period without a valid reason unless authorized by the Chief Librarian/CEO or designate.

Official Records

Only one official record, either physical or digital, will be maintained to meet retention requirements.

If an original physical record is not legally required or classified as permanent, the digital copy becomes the official record. The physical version is then transitory and must be securely disposed of.

Exceptions: Duplicate records listed in the retention schedule (e.g., supporting documents or records submitted to external entities like the City of Hamilton) are not transitory and must be retained per the schedule

Legislation 

This policy, procedures and retention schedule will comply with legislated requirements and professional standards, including, but not limited to: 
Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Ontario Municipal Act
Public Libraries Act
Employment Standards Act
Occupational Health and Safety Act
Income Tax Act

Related Documents
Privacy Policy for Library Members