As all Oakland employees know by now, we’re moving — some of us into new spaces within the existing Franklin building and others into the new building at 111 Broadway. These new workspaces will have significantly less storage, so whether we’ve embraced our inner Marie Kondo or not, it’s time to downsize. That’s where the Building Consolidation Records Project comes in.

Busting off-site storage myths

If you’re experiencing separation anxiety at the thought of storing your files off-site, please take a deep breath. When you’re ready, read on to discover why common off-site storage myths are totally bogus.

Myth: Iron Mountain will lose my boxes
Why it’s bogus: Iron Mountain has an extremely reliable track record — they rarely misplace a box for very long. All boxes going into Iron Mountain are RFID tagged, so it’s easy to find them on the shelf and difficult to lose them.

Myth: I won’t be able to get my materials back fast enough
Why it’s bogus: Standard retrieval time for Iron Mountain is two days — sometimes one day if you order early enough. If an emergency occurs, you can access your boxes even faster.

Myth: My confidential information won’t be secure
Why it’s bogus: Iron Mountain has multiple certifications in privacy, and all their employees are bonded. Additionally, when your boxes are picked up by Iron Mountain, we don’t provide information about their contents. There’s no way for Iron Mountain to know which of our thousands of boxes has your secure material.

Myth: My important papers will be damaged
Why it’s bogus: All materials are stored in double-walled, neutral-pH boxes that are sturdy and long-lasting. Plus, TOPS employees will help you transfer loose papers and papers in hanging files into expandable folders with closed sides. Many clients find that going through the storage process helps to preserve their important documents.

Myth: Off-Site storage costs my department money
Why it’s bogus: The cost of offsite storage is covered by UCOP as part of a service provided to all departments. It doesn’t cost your department anything to send or store materials there when using the UCOP main account.

Myth: Scanning and off-site storage cost the same
Why it’s bogus: It is significantly cheaper to store your records off-site than to digitize them. Storing a box can cost as little as $14 for the life of the box, but scanning a box of documents can cost in excess of $400.

Records management is here to help

Need someone to lend expertise (or emotional support) as you purge your files? Please contact your friendly colleagues in Records Management at records@ucop.edu or (510) 987-0399. You can also access records management tips online here. And, learn more about the Building Consolidation Records Project.

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