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> I'm interested in knowing for how long outdated copies of technical
> documentation should be saved (e.g., in company archives). We currently
keep
> one copy of each book in the archives, and we never throw any out.
It would depend on the whether or not your company is still
manufacturing the equipment or software described in your documentation.
Ideally, you should keep a copy of everything in perpetuity, however, if you
have the facilities, you could save yourself some archive space by
converting the documents to film (microfisch) or electronic format (writable
CD ROM). If you don't have facilities to transfer the document format, you
should keep as much as you have room for. At a minimum, keep a copy of every
document that deals with equipment or software your company is still
manufacturing in one version or another, and documents dealing with
equipment or software that is not being manufactured anymore but is still
within its projected service life.
I have had to access outdated information only twice in my career, but
I am grateful that someone made the decision to store the material, it saved
me a lot of time and my company a few dollars.
Best Regards
Paul C.
