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From the 'Dark Side'



Richard Cox wrote:
<snip>
Second, if we reject working in the corporate sector so glibly, how will
we ultimately be able to ensure that their records will be preserved?  As
most of you know, from my own writings, I believe that archival repositories
will not be able to "collect" modern corporate records and that the best
solution resides in working to establish corporate archives.  Turning our
professional backs towards the corporate entity, for whatever reason, is
not going to enable us to deal with their records.  As professional
archivists, we have a responsibility to work with ALL segments of
society, including corporations.  That corporations are different, with
differing mandates, does not mean that their records are any less important.
<snip>

I'll admit that my use of the term 'dark side' was used glibly, BUT that is
the feeling that I get from many who work in non-profit sector (for lack of
a better term for academia, public libraries, historical societies, et al),
that the corporate world is the 'dark side' and that we are not interested
in the honorable work of preserving records and information.

I began my career with a public library. I loved the work and the people I
worked with, BUT I realized that I could more actively ensure the
preservation of historical business records by working in the corporate
world. I saw what happens when a public institution receives only a small
portion of an organization's records because they were saved from the
dumpster.

At a previous employer (Saudi Aramco) I had the opportunity to see and hold
the actual, original concession agreement signed between the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia and SoCal (now Chevron). Many of the expat employees were the
ones responsible for ensuring that important corporate information was
preserved. While on a short-term business assignment in Saudi Arabia I gave
a presentation on the importance of records management to the company. In
this presentation I included my standard plea for the organizing of a formal
corporate archives. I was really pleased when my message got through to some
of the young Saudis who came to me later on to say "We must do this! You
were talking about our history -- our country's and our company's."
Hopefully I planted a seed that will reach fruition at some point.

So is it the 'dark side'? NOT in my book. Rather I am a missionary preaching
to the masses and praying for conversions. When I work on a retention
schedule I keep in the back of my mind this question --- "Does this record
series have any continuing historical value to the organization?  So think
of me and the others who work in the corporate world. And don't forget that
a corporation may be willing to provide funding. Thank you .




Peter A. Kurilecz CRM, CA
Woodside Summit Group, Inc
Richmond, Virginia
Tel: 804-744-1247 extension 23
Fax: 804-744-4947
mailto:peter.kurilecz@woodsidesummitgroup.com

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