Chapter 09

1. Chapter 9
Numeric Records Management
Records Management
Judith Read and Mary Lea Ginn
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2. Numeric Records Storage and
Retrieval
O Numeric records management
• Is a system for arranging records based on numbers
(Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 218).
• May be used by organizations
• manage a large number of records
• that need to keep records confidential
• Makes expanding files easy
• It is important to remember that numbers are
impersonal…
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3. Consecutive Numbering
Defined Components
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O Serial, sequential, and
straight numeric
O Numbered records are
arranged in ascending
number order
O Numbers follow one after
another without
interruption
O An index must be
referenced to locate a
numbered record (Read &
Ginn, 2015, p. 219).
O Numbered guides and
folders for the numeric
file
O Alphabetic guides and
folders for the general
alphabetic file
O A lined book or
software for an
accession log
O Software for an alphabetic
index (Read & Ginn, 2015,
p. 219).

4. Numbered Guides and Folders
O Numbered primary guides divide the file into
sections
O Numbered folders are placed behind the guides
O Folders may also show names or subjects (Read & Ginn,
2015, p. 220).
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5. Alphabetic Guides and Folders
O Hold records of correspondents with only a few
records
O Are placed at the beginning of the numeric file (Read &
Ginn, 2015, p. 221).
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6. Accession Log
O Composed of a serial list of numbers assigned
to records
O Includes the date of the assignment
O Indicates the next number to be assigned
(Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 222).
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7. Alphabetic Index
O A reference to a numeric file
O Organized alphabetically
O Used to find the number assigned to a name or subject
O Also called a relative index for numeric -subject systems
(Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 223).
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8. Storage and Retrieval Procedures
O Inspect records for release marks
O Index to determine the filing segment by
which to store each record
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Release marks (RLG) indicate that the
document is ready for coding.
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9. Storage and Retrieval Procedures
O Code the filing segment and identify any
needed cross-references
O Assign file code numbers to a correspondent
or subject
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10. Storage and Retrieval Procedures
O Code all units in the cross-reference name or
subject
O File all cross-references in the general
alphabetic file
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11. Storage and Retrieval Procedures
O Perform an initial alphabetic sorting before
assigning file code numbers or the letter G
O Assign all necessary codes and place the
records into numeric or alphabetic sorters
O Store all records coded with numbers in
folders with the most recent date on top
O Store records coded G in the general
alphabetic folders
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12. Storage and Retrieval Procedures
O Retrieving
O Use requisitions, OUT indicators, and a charge-
out log when removing records from storage
O Follow the appropriate procedures to ensure
the safe return of borrowed records
O A database filter or query could be used to
show all borrowed OUT files, sorted by date
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13. Converting to Numeric Storage
O An organization may convert to numeric
storage
O To provide quicker storage and retrieval
O For increased security
O Follow established steps to convert files from
an alphabetic to a numeric arrangement
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14. Consecutive Number Storage
Advantages Disadvantages
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O Expansion is easy and
unlimited (Read & Ginn,
2015, p. 231).
O All cross-references are in
the alphabetic name
database(Read & Ginn,
2015, p. 231).
O Files are secure because
names do not appear on
captions (Read & Ginn,
2015, p. 231).
O An index is required to
retrieve records—an
indirect access method
(Read & Ginn, 2015,
p. 231).
O Sorting takes longer (Read
& Ginn, 2015, p. 231).
O Congestion occurs at the
end of the file (Read &
Ginn, 2015, p. 231).

15. Nonconsecutive Numbering
O Terminal-digit storage
O Numbers are divided into groups (Read & Ginn,
2015, p. 233).
O The last group is the primary division under which a
record is filed (Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 233).
O Middle-digit storage
O Numbers are divided into groups (Read & Ginn,
2015, p. 235).
O The middle group is the primary division for filing
(Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 235).
O Chronologic storage
O Holds records arranged by date in reverse or
forward sequence (Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 236).
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. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or
posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

16. Other Numeric Coding Systems
O Block-numeric coding: “a coding system based on the
assignment of number ranges to subjects” (Read & Ginn,
2015, p. 237).
O Duplex-numeric coding: “a coding system using numbers
(or sometimes letters) with two or more parts separated
by a dash, space, or comma” (Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 237).
O Decimal-numeric coding: “a numeric method of classifying
records by subject, in units of 10and coded for
arrangement in numeric order” (Read & Ginn, 2015,
p. 238).
O Alphanumeric coding: “a coding system that combines
letters and numbers, in combination with punctuation
marks, to develop codes for classifying and retrieving
information” (Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 238).
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17. Databases for Numeric Storage
O Software can simplify creating the accession
log and the alphabetic index (Read & Ginn,
2015, p. 240 and 241).
O Separate fields are needed for each part of
the number for middle-digit or terminal-digit
files (Read & Ginn, 2015, p. 240 and 241).
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18. Resource
O Read, J., & Ginn, M. L. (2015). Numeric Records
Management. In Records management (10th ed.).
Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
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