Most municipalities digitize their records fully intending to apply retention afterward — but almost nobody does the indexing prep work that retention actually requires. This post breaks down the difference between time-based and event-based retention, why digitizing without indexing only buys you a text-searchable archive (not automation, reporting, or disposition), and the real, multi-line-item cost of a digitization program that actually delivers on its promise.

What happens when the way we organize government records isn't the way people actually look for them? Where do you file a deed? Sounds like a pretty straightforward question, right? Well, welcome to the wonderful world of records management, where even the simplest questions have a way of turning into a full-blown philosophical debate about filing systems, retention schedules, and public access. Recently, I was working with a municipal client when this exact question came up.