Also see: Records Management Process | Our Mission Statement
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Collection Development Policies and Procedures

The purpose of the Archives of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn is to identify, preserve, and make available records of the Diocese and those ancillary records that reflect the work of the Catholic Church in the diocese. Official diocesan records are defined as all recorded information, regardless of media type or characteristics, made or received and maintained by a diocesan office, agency, consultive body, or institution in pursuance of its legal obligations or in the transaction of its business.

The official offices, agencies, consultive bodies, and institutions constitute the core collections of the Archives. Offices are administrative units designed to assist the Bishop in the administration of the Diocese and maintain a reportorial relationship to the Bishop. Agencies and institutions are considered those administrative units which perform specific functions and maintain an operational relationship to the Bishop. Such agencies and institutions may be operated by religious orders of men and /or women, but remain under the supervision of the Diocese. The parishes of the Diocese are considered an official organ of the Diocese.

Those ancillary records of individuals and organizations engaged in work reflective of the Catholic Church in the Diocese constitute the additional collections of the archives. These include, but are not limited to, the personal papers of individuals such as bishops, priests, and laity of the diocese and the records of organizations such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
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Records Management Process

This is the process for internal transfers of documents. Internal transfers come from other diocesan bodies, be they offices, parishes, or other bodies with an official relationship to the Bishop. For external transfers, please see the submitting materials page.
1. Archivist meets with Department Head.
2. Department Head designates Records Management Contact(s).
3. Archivist sets up appointment with Records Management Contact(s).
4. Archivist makes on site visit to meet with Records Management Contact.
5. On site visit to determine what records department has; how long department needs to retain them for its own administrative purposes and how long records need to be retained for legal and fiscal reasons (if known by department); what quantity of records are needed for active office use, what quantity of records could be put in inactive storage because they are not needed on an everyday basis, what quantity of records are archival.
6. Archivist analyzes records to determine required retention period(s); to determine active, inactive, and archival records; and to determine quantities of records that need to be stored in archives or inactive storage.
7. Archivist gives written feedback to department contact regarding records identified in form of draft departmental records retention schedule.
8. Departmental Records Management Contact reviews draft departmental records retention schedule making comments or corrections and replies to Archivist.
9. Archivist revises draft departmental records retention schedule and submits revision to Department Head.
10. Department Head signs off on departmental records retention schedule.
11. Based on departmental records retention schedule, department staff begin preparing records for move to new active office space, to inactive records storage area,or to archives in compliance with records retention schedule. Archives Office will also furnish department with a master list of each group of records going to inactive records storage or to archives to help guide them.
12. Departmental staff review office records, destroy duplicates, remove non-record items such as supplies, catalogs, non-diocesan publications (NCCB/USCC publications, published textbooks), holiday decorations. Departmental staff weed files to remove routine correspondence, subject files, and other records that have exceeded their retention periods.
13. Records which have exceeded their retention period may be destroyed by the department. However, a list must be made of any such materials destroyed and signed by the department staff responsible for destroying the record and by the Department Head. The Records Destruction Record must be sent to the Archives. A file copy should be retained by the department.
14. Departmental staff boxes records using standard size boxes provided, labels boxes, prepares box and folder lists, leaves copy of box and folder list in each box, sends one copy of box and folder list to Archives Office, and retains one copy of box and folder list for the department, all in accord with Procedures for Transferring Records to Inactive Records Storage/Archives.
15. Before moving day Department Records Management Contact, Archivist, Facilities Manager, and Moving Company Representative conduct on site verification of what files are to be moved into new departmental office space, what files are to be sent to Inactive Records Storage, what files are to be sent to Archives.
16. On moving day, Archivist, Facilities Manager (or their staff), and Department Records Management Contact supervise packing of records by Moving Company at department’s office. Archivist and Facilities Manager (or their staff) supervise unloading of records at 310 Prospect Park West. Archivist (or staff member) supervises placement of records in designated Inactive Records Storage Area or in Archives Storage Area.
17. Archives staff prepares database of shelf location of records in Inactive Records Storage Area and in Archives Storage Area.
18. When contacted by Records Management Contact, Archives Staff will retrieve records from Inactive Records Storage and turn them over to authorized departmental staff. Archival records will be retrieved by Archives staff and may be used by departmental staff in Archives Reference Room. Departmental staff can request records be photocopied to take back to office for use.

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Mission Statement

The Archives of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn identifies, preserves, and makes available records of enduring value created or received by the Diocese, its officials, and its agencies. It is established in accord with Canon 482, which charges the Chancellor with the responsibility for the Archives. The Archivist serves under the Chancellor as the Bishop's representative and liaison in the establishment of archival policies and procedures. The archivist is assisted by an Archives Advisory Committee appointed by the Bishop.

The Archives seeks to promote an understanding of the origins, aims, and goals of the Diocese as reflected in the workings of the official diocesan offices, agencies, consultative bodies, and institutions. Official diocesan records are defined as follows:
All recorded information, regardless of form (e.g., electronic data, audiovisual material, printed material), made or received and maintained by a diocesan office, agency, consultative body, or institution in pursuance of its legal obligations or in the transaction of its business.

All diocesan agencies and offices are directed to work with the Archivist to identify, preserve, and make available their records of enduring value. As part of this function, the Archivist will develop records retention schedules in consultation with the offices and agencies. The Archivist also will advise agencies about the appropriateness of such alternate storage media as microfilm and optical disk.

The Archivist is available to assist the parishes of the Diocese with their archival records and the preservation of their history. He or she will actively promote an awareness of the history of the Diocese and its parishes through exhibits, publications, and other appropriate media.

Although the Archives' main function is to serve the administrative needs of the Bishop and the Diocese, it also seeks to selectively collect, preserve, and make available for research papers of individuals and records of organizations engaged in work reflective of the Catholic Church in the Diocese.

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