Do you take photos, record videos, or put albums together about the places you've traveled and visited? After you've graduated, where do you store your diploma or certificate? Where is your birth certificate, Social Security Card, or Certificate of Naturalization stored?

All these mementos, keepsakes, and legal documents (both physical and digital) tell a story about you. According to the National Archives, these materials "help you remember the past and become evidence for future generations seeking a look at your world today."

Therefore, all of the materials or records you create as a club/organization tell a story about your club/organization.

Records come in a variety of formats, including letters, photographs, videos, maps, reports, minutes, scrapbooks, publications, etc.

How do you want your club/organization to be remembered? By maintaining your records and/or donating them to the Central Piedmont Archives, you ensure the memories created and captured by your club/organization are preserved for future generations.

If your club or organization has accumulated records, it's important to evaluate them and figure out what's worth keeping and what should be discarded. Here are some questions to help you during the evaluation process:

• Does this record help others understand what your club/organization is about, the work you did, and the role you played within the Central Piedmont community?
• Would future club/organization members, students, or researchers find this record interesting or insightful?
• Does this record relate to other documents or materials your club/organization knows it will keep and maintain?
  • For example, if the record you're evaluating is a handwritten outline about an event your club/organization coordinated, and you're already keeping photos and flyers of that event, then you can also keep the handwritten outline because that record is related to other records you will be keeping and maintaining.

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then you should consider keeping that record.

As you review and evaluate your club/organization's records, if you have any doubts, don't throw it out! Keep the record and contact archives@cpcc.edu with a photo and description of the item for guidance.

Here's a list of materials you should keep. This is not a comprehensive list, but it includes some of the more important things you should consider saving. Generally, it's best to keep records that contain historical value—things that help tell your club's story.

• Founding documents (club charters, constitutions, mission statements, by-laws, etc.)
• Membership lists and rosters
• Meeting agendas and minutes
• Publications created by your club or organization, such as newsletters and zines
• Scrapbooks and photo albums
• Photographs and videos of members, meetings, and events
  • Tip: Remember to include people's names either on the backs of photos, in filenames, or on a text document associated with the photo or video.
• Correspondence and memos, such as letters and/or emails of importance
• Member handbooks
• Event flyers, posters, and promotional materials, such as branded shirts, buttons, pins, etc.
• Event planning documents, such as outlines and drafts
• Certificates or awards of recognition, such as trophies and award plaques
• Magazines and newspaper clippings (or printouts) that feature or spotlight your club or organization
• Financial documents, such as annual budgets

If you're unsure whether something is worth keeping or not, feel free to contact archives@cpcc.edu with a photo and description of the item.

Here's a list of materials you should discard. This is not a comprehensive list, but it includes some of the less important things you should consider throwing away.

• Receipts
• Bank statements
• Canceled checks
• Duplicate copies
  • For example, if you have 20 copies of a flyer or 10 copies of a magazine that includes a spotlight of your club or organization, we recommend keeping 3 of the best copies.

If you're unsure whether something is worth keeping or not, feel free to contact archives@cpcc.edu with a photo and description of the item.