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TOt Miss Adams February 1, 1956 JRCM* M. Burnett SUBJECT t Suggestions for clarifications in Schedule B of Report of T Subcommittee on Destruction of Records, January 6, 19$6 o Regarding Schedule B of the above report, which was your particular contribution, there are a few points that strike me, on critical rereading, as needing clarification • The heading says "Types of records and other material having historical value and which should be retained permanently11 .• Ifaile the first part of this heading implies some leeway in choice of what may be considered historical in each Federal Reserve Bank, the second part seems to iu^ose an order to retain penoanently. It is not quite clear to BOG how one should react t o these instructions at the receiving e nd, when fche Manual is finally distributed to the Banks for action. Section G For exanpls, in Section 0 is listed "Publications for Distribution1* . If taken literally one could never throw away surplus copies of old publications. But it is important that at least one complete series, and preferably two, be kept of every publication ever issued by the Bank, for the sake of the record. A note to that effect might be added in parentheses* Similarly, under "Reports of Research Division1* and tinder "Departmental memoranda, studies, surveys" it seems highly questionable that all such studies should be retained. Some are superseded by later editions, and sonje are intended only for temporary purposes and are "light-weight" as to content. Perhaps a modiftring phrase could be added such as "to fona a collection representative of the serious work of the department over the years." Memo* to Miss Adams t/l/$6 ~ 2 ~ Section H Under Section H should there not be some reference to other valuable file contents In the form of documents and other printed material relating to the Federal Reserve §ystem? Even if old, and out-dated for reference purposes, most of it should probably be retained indefinitely for historical purposes* I note that the phrase used in Section X, "Material relating to Federal Reserve branch offices • •* w is broader than anything included under Section H* Since obviously discretion arust be allowed in judging the historical value of a lot of material*perhaps the ^must11 items could tns starred in the final manual, and the number of copies indicated, if desired, and thus leave the other items on the list open to Judgments The trouble seems to arise <when one< crosses the borderline from genuine original documents, like the Organisation Certificate or official Minutes of . " \ ' " • • ' • • ' ' ' V - * f - • • • • " " - • • ' • • • . j - . , X^osetings* to material of less inherent iaportance but still of historical interest, such as departmental reports*
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