n.the usefulness or significance of records to document and protect the rights and interests of an individual or organization, to provide for defense in litigation, or to demonstrate compliance with laws and regulations Norton 1942, 18The Illinois State Archives Building was designed to provide scientific care for the following categories of records: ¶ a) Those records of such great legal value that they should never be allowed to be removed from the building—such as the constitution, deeds and abstracts for state property, enrolled laws, etc.Perlman 1952, 31Thus, the transfer period recommended for contract files is 3 years after the files are closed; but the period for pay and personnel records varies according to their administrative and legal values.Born 1963a, 404The federal archivists dealt at length with the problem of archival restoration and its inclusion in the training program for archivists, the durability of film copies and their legal value, and the inevitability of filming perishable materials such as records.Brichford 1977, 8Malpractice, negligence, and tort liability suits affect legal values of medical case-history files. The potential for possibilities of litigation may last through a minority, a lifetime, or as long as heirs have a legitimate interest in legal action.Eastwood 1988, 248To appraise documents, archivists need to know which documents have a permanent legal value and which have, only a temporary or potential legal value and how long it lasts. To identify documents, archivists need to know the forms which characterize types of legal documents. To arrange documents, archivists need to know the legal context in which they were created and their interrelationships. To describe documents, archivists need to know the precise terminology applied to each documentary form.Maher 1992, 43A record has legal value if it may be used to refute or support a claim relating to a person’s or institution's action(s).Ricks, Swafford, and Kay 1992, 81The legal value of a records series is established by the documentation it provides of business ownership, agreements, and transactions.Mims 1996, 20Records with legal value are those required to be kept by law or those that may be needed in case of litigation or government investigation.
