Introduction This book has a specific purpose; to outline for the reader step-by-step-a method for setting up records management In a company, Records management comprises two very simple things. First, setting a schedule of how long records are to be kept. Second, housing records so they are immedi ately available for referral. This is records management- nothing more. You will find more complicated definitions of records man agement. They probably will include filing systems, forms control, vital records program, reports management, and a host of other techniques. These are all important to the man- agement of paperwork in the broad sense, but this book deals with the paperwork problem from the standpoint of records. It does not presume to treat (or define) all paperwork as records. It is only fair to point out to you, however, that these other techniques let us call them “creation control”-are being considered with increasing emphasis as an integral part of records management. Nevertheless, the author feels this is Incorrect, even dangerous. Our paperwork problem, in indus try as well as government, is so monumental that this disper- sion of responsibilities can only lead to development of records management generalists when we desperately need specialists to work on these problems.