Federal records are defined by law as all documentary materials, regardless of physical form, that meet the following two conditions:

• made or received by an agency of the United States Government either under Federal law or in connection with the transaction of agency business, and
• preserved or appropriate for preservation as evidence of agency activities or because of the value of the information they contain (see 44 U.S.C. 3301).

Federal records are created as part of our routine responsibilities. They provide an accounting of the Department's organizations, functions, policies and activities. They can be in paper, electronic or other formats, and may include: letters, memoranda, completed forms, statistical and narrative reports, graphics, photographs, audio and video recordings, maps, and architectural and engineering drawings. If records are electronically created but maintained in paper record-keeping systems (i.e., e-mail), information such as addressees, and date and time mailed must also be kept as part of the record. Records must be complete in order to provide proper documentation.

The records you create are your legacy of public service. In order to capture this legacy, provide useful information to successor officials, and contribute to the smooth operation of the Department, the records you have created must be transferred to a designated records custodian before you leave the agency.

By law Federal records may not be destroyed or removed from Government custody. Officials are allowed to keep a limited number of duplicate copies for reference when warranted by the level of the position, significance of the work or research, or the prestige of the researcher. Such copies are considered non-record material and permission must be obtained before removing them for personal use.

If you require further guidance or need assistance, you may contact your supervisor, the Records Manager at your site (see http://cio.doe.gov/Records/doermoff.htm), or the Departmental Records Officer (Susan L. Frey, SO-312, 301-903-3666). A helpful publication entitled, "Documenting Your Public Service," is also available on the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website at: http://www.nara.gov/records/pubs/dfr/index.html.