Iron Mountain provides secure offsite storage for MIT’s inactive non-permanent paper records, allowing you to reclaim office space and recall – or request scans of – documents on demand. It is essential to properly prepare records before they are sent offsite, including inventorying the files and setting a destruction date. Contact us to learn more and set up a Department ID.

1. Pack

• Order approved boxes (#MB-15) from The Paige Company
• Pack only one type of record per box
• Remove documents from hanging folders (because they damage boxes. Use standard folders instead)
• Pack files in the same order that they were removed from filing cabinets
• Do not over-pack boxes (because Iron Mountain's shelves are configured for boxes that are precisely 10x12x15)
• Do not under-pack boxes (if necessary, place crumpled paper behind the last file to keep the folders upright)
• Number and label the boxes with a Sharpie

2. Inventory

• Contact us for transmittal sheets
• Fill out one transmittal sheet for up to five boxes, using capital letters to minimize transcription errors during data entry
• Complete all mandatory fields

1. Department ID (ask us if you are unsure of your Department ID)

2. Major description (name of record series)

3. Destruction date (when the contents of the box are eligible to be shredded. Ask us if you are unsure)

4. Preparer's full name 

5. Date 

6. Telephone number and extension 

• Complete additional fields to improve retrieval 

  1. From date (the earliest date of creation of the documents in the box)

  2. To date (the most recent date of creation of the documents in the box)

  3. Alphanumeric range - from (beginning value for alphanumeric range of the files in the box)

  4. Alphanumeric range - to (ending value for alphanumeric range of the files in the box)

  5. Customer box number (for example: 1 of 10, 2 of 10, etc.)

  6. Minor description (any additional information that may help you identify the records in the future)

  7. Email PDF(s) of completed transmittal sheet(s) to rmprogram@mit.edu for review

  8. When your transmittal sheets are approved by the Records Management Program, proceed to the next steps

3. Barcode

• ​Affix the small white barcode from the RFID label to the transmittal sheet, beneath the corresponding box number
• Affix the large blue RFID barcode to the box. Make sure it matches the corresponding barcode number for that box on the transmittal sheet
• Make a copy of the transmittal sheet for your records. You will need the barcode numbers to retrieve the boxes in the future
• Have the transmittal sheet ready to give to the Iron Mountain driver at the time of pickup

3. Schedule a pickup

• ​​​​​​​Contact us to arrange a pickup. Orders placed before 3:00 PM may be scheduled as soon as the next day. You will receive an email confirmation. Meet the driver to show them the boxes, provide the transmittal sheet(s), and sign for the pickup. 

Contact us to retrieve boxes from Iron Mountain. Indicate the barcodes and box numbers. Orders placed before 3:00 PM may arrive as soon as the next day. 

Contact us to return boxes to Iron Mountain. Indicate how many boxes need to be picked up. When the pickup order is placed, you will receive a confirmation email.

If your office stores records offsite, contact us to request a PDF via Iron Mountain's Image on Demand service. Indicate the barcode, box number, and the name of the file you would like scanned. Orders placed before 3:00 PM are typically delivered within two business days. When the order is placed, you will receive an email confirmation.

Example of a transmittal sheet with required fields (Department ID and destruction dates) highlighted

RFID labels - white barcode goes on the transmittal sheet, blue label goes on the box