Documents that do not meet the definition of a record are considered ephemeral materials with no long-term administrative, fiscal, legal, or historical value. Examples include preliminary drafts that undergo significant revision, personal communications unrelated to organizational business, convenience copies maintained solely for ease of access, and unsolicited advertisements or promotional materials. These items generally do not document official activities, decisions, or transactions.
Properly identifying and segregating these transient documents is vital for efficient information management. It reduces storage costs by preventing the unnecessary accumulation of superfluous data. This practice also streamlines retrieval processes, ensuring that personnel can more quickly access and manage crucial documents. Furthermore, the systematic disposal of these items minimizes potential legal discovery burdens and safeguards against the misinterpretation of preliminary or informal communications as official policy or actions.
