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Scanning

Once scanning a record, how can our office ensure the text is searchable and how can we easily locate the scanned record among our existing files or folder structures?

Utilizing Adobe Acrobat Pro’s Recognize Text feature will allow your scanned image to become a searchable document. Details on how to recognize Text and how to search your folders can be found here.

What do we do with the original paper copies once we’ve scanned them?
  • If you are scanning records following a unique scanning policy created for your unit prior to May 2026, the original paper copies are considered duplicates upon verification of proper scanning you may dispose of any original paper source documents 
  • If you are scanning records following the requirements of UW's standards, the original paper copies are considered duplicates upon verification of proper scanning you may dispose of any original paper source documents 
  • If you do not follow the scanning requirements set forth by Records Management Services, the original paper copies remain the legal copy of the record and must be stored and maintained for their full retention period.

 

Our office is currently using eSignatures. Is it ok if we scan all of the documents that were signed in ink before we started using DocuSign?

If you want to scan then destroy the original paper record, your office must follow the standards set forth in the Scanning resource. If your unit previously had a scanning policy created, those standards are still applicable and can be used to justify the scanning and subsequent destruction of the paper documents.