What Are Vital Records?
Vital records are those records containing important information. This could be information about an individual, a company, business, organization or even the government. This information can be in any format. It can be in form of written documents, magnetic tapes, papers, database or even photos. Vital records have to be protected in case there is a disaster or emergency which might result in severe consequences.
As such, vital records are those documents which if they are damaged, it might cost money and a lot of time to recreate them. These documents can be stored in active form if they are used in the office or inactive form if they are not in use. There are certain characteristics of vital records which are common. These are;
- They contain important information that is necessary for running an institution
- They are important for making crucial decisions of an organization. Perhaps, this is because vital records contain mission of an institution and what it has achieved in the past.
- They contain information that is necessary to guard and ensure the interests and rights of an organization or individual.
An individual may have their passport, identity card, birth certificate, college certificate, among others as their vital records. These records are always kept in a safe place where they are not likely to be damaged with ease.