"Since e-mail meets the statutory definition of a public record in Kentucky, it is subject to management requirements which may not be obvious. For example, electronic mail may be subject to open records requests, yet its users may have inappropriate expectations of privacy and informality; mail may be destroyed inappropriately; or it may be accumulating in systems when it should more properly be destroyed after it no longer has value to the agency. Case law shows that electronic mail certainly is discoverable under actions brought against the government, and its inappropriate retention therefore brings risk."
(from KDLA's tutorial Understanding Records Management: E-Mail Records)
Email is not considered to be an electronic record under state law. Retention and destruction of email is covered by the Records Retention Schedule, as if the documents were regular paper letters delivered by postal mail. Please see the KDLA website on Email Records for further information.
Contact Records Management if you have any questions.
updated: Tuesday, 07-Nov-2006 10:24:15 EST