The Stillwater Public Library will host its community wide shredding project on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon.  Each car may bring two copy paper sized boxes full of sensitive documents to be shredded securely.  The shredding event is free, but this year, donations will be accepted.

“The prices for shredding have increased, but the Friends of the Library have stepped in to help pay for the service,” said Lynda Reynolds, library director.  “This year we will gladly be accepting donations from drive-through participants to help defray costs.”

The shredding will be performed on site by Shred Away, a local document destruction company.  Participants at the event are invited to drive through the library parking lot and have their documents unloaded and shredded on the spot.  Staples and paper clips do not need to be removed from the documents.

According to Reynolds, some items to consider shredding include material containing account numbers, social security numbers, private correspondence, bank statements, bills, medical information, legal informations, passwords or signatures.  Many people also bring unsolicited mail like pre-approved credit card offers.

“Many people use the shredding event as an opportunity to declutter their files,” said Reynolds.  “It is always best to speak to your financial or legal advisors for specifics, but there are many good sites that provide general guidelines for how long you should keep specific documents.”

People who would like help accessing these general guidelines may contact the library’s Help Desk at 405-372-3633 x8106.  Reynolds also suggests visiting the government’s web page at http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Money/Personal-Finance/Managing-Household-Records.shtml for a handy and credible list.