Keeping publications and promotional materials as records

Purpose and scope

A publication refers to any form of information published or intended for public access. This includes materials made available to staff within an organisation, such as intranet procedure manuals. Publications can be in hardcopy, digital, or other formats and may or may not have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) or International Standard Serial Number (ISSN).

What records should be kept?

It is good practice to retain:

• records relating to the drafting or development of the publication (for example, draft versions and correspondence about design)
• copies of the published versions of publications and promotional items, including:
  • books
  • web publications
  • CD-ROMs
  • videos
  • posters
  • online or hardcopy forms and leaflets.
• a record of each published version as it is superseded, unless changes are minor (e.g., formatting adjustments or typographical corrections)
• two copies of hardcopy publications identified as State archives:
  • one mint-condition copy for transfer to Museums of History NSW
  • one reference copy for the organisation's library or equivalent.

Forms

Master copies of forms used in business processes should be retained as records, regardless of format.

Legal deposit obligations

Legal deposit requires publishers to lodge copies of their publications with designated libraries, such as the State Library of NSW. Government organisations may also need to submit primary publications, such as annual reports, to the NSW Parliament or their responsible Ministry. These requirements are distinct from retention and archival obligations.

Retention requirements

Retention periods for publications and promotional materials depend on their purpose and significance.

Publications related to core business

Retention requirements for records of publications and promotional items created as part of core business are detailed in the organisation's functional retention and disposal authority. This includes background research, substantive drafts, and final versions. For example:

•  A workplace safety poster from SafeWork NSW
• An information leaflet on flu vaccinations from NSW Health.

Sector-specific authorities often address retention for core publications. For example, the General retention and disposal authority: higher, further education and research (GA47) outlines retention periods for curricula, subject handbooks, and final research reports.

Where overlap exists, the functional retention and disposal authority takes precedence over general authorities.

Further advice

For questions about publication retention or disposal, consult your organisation's retention and disposal authority or contact State Records NSW at govrec@staterecords.nsw.gov.au.

Archival requirements

A copy of each agency’s annual report is required as a State archive. Agencies must ensure proper transfer procedures are followed to meet this obligation.

Key points:

• Cabinet Office Circular C2022-02 requires agencies to send electronic copies of annual reports to the State Archives Collection.
• Agencies should follow the procedures for transferring digital records to the State Archives Collection.

Publication requirements

• There is no longer a requirement to publish electronic copies of annual reports via OpenGov.
• For other distribution and publication requirements, refer to: C2022-02 Deposit of New South Wales Government Publications.

Plans, policies, procedures and reports

• Retention decisions should be made in functional retention and disposal authorities: 
• Core functions include strategic management, occupational health and safety, and government relations.
• Example categories: planning, policy, and reporting related to corporate, business, or strategic plans, occupational health and safety, and formal government reports like annual reports.

Published addresses, conference proceedings and training materials

• Retention requirements for conference proceedings and addresses are included in the General retention and disposal authority: administrative records (GA28)
• Published training materials retention should be based on whether training is core to the organisation's business.
• Consult functional retention and disposal authorities for specific training records.

Advertising and promotional publications

• Publications like posters, brochures, and general promotional information typically have short retention periods.
• Retention may be extended for unique or potentially reusable materials.
• Retention categories include marketing and commercial activities.

Internally directed publications

• Publications intended for internal use (other than plans, policies, or reports) also have short retention periods.
• Relevant authorities include internal drafting and information management.

Audio-visual materials

• Retention for production, rights management, and final versions of audio-visual materials is outlined in general retention authorities for administrative and local government records.

Websites and snapshots

• Website publications should follow retention periods based on their purpose.
• Records of business transacted via websites should be retained according to relevant functional authorities.
• Snapshots of websites are not recommended due to maintenance costs and difficulties, but if used, retention should be defined in functional authorities.

Production records

• Records related to the production of publications (e.g., graphic design, indexing, and website updates) have short retention periods.
• These records fall under publication production authorities.

Pre-1940 publications and ephemera

• Organisations holding pre-1940 publications should contact State Records NSW for guidance on disposal.

These guidelines ensure that all records are retained appropriately and disposed of when they are no longer needed, following the specific functional categories.

Management tips

• Publications and promotional materials that are kept as records should be registered in official recordkeeping systems and stored in appropriate conditions.
• Triggers such as uploading to the 'live' website or obtaining an ISBN can be used as a way to remind staff of the need to save a publication as a record.
• Publications that are designated as State archives should not be used as reference copies. For example, councils should retain one set of their annual reports as State archives and a separate set as reference copies to fulfil their obligation under section 12 of the Local Government Act 1993.
• It is not necessary to keep promotional objects, such as badges, toys or mugs 'on file' with the records relating to their development. Where the organisation chooses to retain a collection of such objects, however, it may be useful to include information in relevant file/s about the physical location of the objects, for ease of retrieval.
• Some publications or promotional items can be difficult to store in standard shelving and packaging (for example large posters). Information on suppliers to contact regarding purchasing shelving and packaging for non-standard formats is available from the RIMPA Business Directory.
• If publications required as State archives are only published electronically, e.g. online or as a pdf document, contact Agency Services at Museums of History NSW about transferring these publications.

Transferring publications

Contact Agency Services at Museums of History NSW to transfer hard copy or digital publications as State archives.