5. Glossary

Access:

The right, opportunity or means of finding, using, or retrieving information.

Active records:

Those records required for the day-to-day functioning of an agency or person. Also referred to as current records.

Appraisal:

The process of evaluating records to determine which are to be retained as archives, which are to be kept for specified periods and which will be destroyed. This step should precede a disposal decision.

Archives:

For the purposes of this standard, archives are those records which have been appraised as having continuing value, and have been transferred to an archival repository. Under the Public Records Act 2005, transfer to an archive is generally required when records are 25 years old. Therefore, this category includes all records over 25 years old, unless they have been determined not to be of archival value.

Classified information:

Information which has been classified in accordance with the publication Security in the Government Sector, available at http://www.security.govt.nz/.

Data logger:

A small computer which saves or ‘logs’ temperature and humidity readings over a designated period. A computer and commercially available software are required to download and analyse the data generated.

Digital records:

A record communicated and maintained by means of digital computer technology.

Format:

The physical medium in which information is recorded or carried, e.g. paper files, computer printouts, photographs, microfilm, machine-readable records, plans, cards, volumes, etc.

Humidity:

The concentration of moisture in the atmosphere. See also relative humidity.

Inactive records:

Those records no longer required for the conduct of business and which may therefore be transferred to intermediate storage, archival custody or destroyed.

Local authority:

A regional council or territorial authority. Under the Public Records Act 2005, this includes: (i) a council-controlled organisation; (ii) a council-controlled trading organisation; and (iii) a local government organisation.

Local authority archive:

A local authority record that is no longer in current use by the controlling local authority; or has been in existence for 25 years or more (whether or not in current use). Also includes protected records and local authority records that the controlling local authority resolves are worth permanent preservation.

Local authority record:

A record or class of records in any form, in whole or in part, created or received... by a local authority in the conduct of its affairs.

Local authority protected record:

A local authority record declared by the Chief Archivist to be a protected record by notice in the New Zealand Gazette. A local authority must provide for the adequate protection and preservation of its protected records. Protected records must not be disposed of without the authorisation of the Chief Archivist. The list of local authority protected records is known as the ‘Local Government Schedule’.

Physical record:

A physical object which has been used to record information. Examples of common types of physical records are paper files and documents; volumes and registers; photographic media including photographs, film, microforms, and x-rays; maps, plans, and drawings; magnetic media such as floppy disks, digital tape, video and audio cassettes; and optical disks such as CDs and DVDs.

Protected record:

See local authority protected record.

Public archive:

A public record that is under the control of the Chief Archivist.

Public office:

The legislative, executive and judicial branches of the Government of New Zealand and their agencies or instruments, including departments, offices of parliament, state enterprises, crown entities, the Police, Defence Force, and the Security Intelligence Service. Crown entities include district health boards, school boards of trustees and tertiary education institutions.

Public records:

A record created or received by a public office in the conduct of its affairs. This includes records declared to be public records by the Governor-General and estray records. This does not include special collections (records collected for purposes such as research) or records created by the academic staff or students of a tertiary education institution, unless the records have become part of the records of that institution.

Recordkeeping:

The creation and maintenance of complete, accurate and reliable evidence of business transactions in the form of recorded information.

Records of archival value:

For the purposes of this standard, records of archival value are those records that have been appraised as having continuing value, but have not yet been transferred to an archive. This includes all records which will become public archives and all local authority protected records.

Relative humidity:

The ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the amount of water vapour present in the atmosphere to the amount required to saturate it at the same temperature. In a closed environment, relative humidity varies inversely with temperature.

Short-term records/records of short term value:

For the purposes of this standard, short-term records are those records which may be disposed of after a finite period, because they have been appraised not to be of archival value.

Storage:

The function of storing records for future retrieval and use.

Storage area:

For the purposes of this standard, a storage area is an area designated for storage of records. It may be a free-standing building, a sole-purpose room within a building, or a designated area within a larger storage space.

Thermohygrograph:

A scientific instrument which records temperature and relative humidity over a period of time, generally daily or weekly. Also referred to as hygrothermograph.

Vital records:

Those records that are essential for the ongoing business of an agency, and without which the agency could not continue to function effectively. The identification and protection of such records is a primary object of records management and disaster planning.