Types of vital records include certificates of incorporation and student transcripts. Vital records are usually irreplaceable. Important records are irreplaceable or only at great cost to the organization. These may include historical materials recording significant decisions, events, etc. in the organizations history.
Useful records contribute to daily office efficiency.
These records may include correspondence and records of financial transactions. Nonessential records may be destroyed immediately after they are used. This type of record may include employee bulletins or memos. The classification of some records can be more difficult than others. Litigation and other issues sometimes makes it necessary to retain some records longer than their initial classification required.