Supreme Court Lets Federal Agencies Kill Computer Records if Paper Available

Staff -- Library Journal, 3/13/2000

The U.S. Supreme Court March 6 rejected an appeal from the American Library Association, the American Historical Association, and Public Citizen that challenged a rule that lets federal agencies destroy computer records as long as they keep copies on paper or microfilm. The appellants argued that electronic records could be better searched and indexed, according to an Associated Press report. The National Archives, which sets standards for preserving government records, in 1995 issued a rule letting agencies delete certain records to avoid overloading their computer systems. A federal judge first ruled in favor of the ALA and other plaintiffs, but that decision was overturned in August 1999 by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of that ruling.