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Re: Good assessment of NARA/recordkeeping



Maarja Krusten's recent postings have raised some troubling and
thought-provoking issues.  Based on my own experiences, I think part of the
problem we are facing today is an all too common lack of effective records
management programs, the "middle man," if you will, between records
creators and archives.  I do not want to put forth a declension thesis, but
apart from the horrendously ubiquitous phenomenon of "down sizing," which
has certainly impacted records management efforts at some institutions,
electronic data - leaving aside questions of long-term preservation and
access and the applicability of traditional canons of archival practice -
has made the job much more difficult.  Too many decision-makers fail to
recognize the need for effective records-keeping systems when they are not
presented with the physical reality of rooms full of paper.  Far too often,
computers are seen as some sort of self-sufficient magical black boxes, a
concept that is aided and abetted by vendors.  (Thankfully, this does not
apply to my current institution, where record management is seen as a
long-term mission critical function and plans are in the works to implement
records management software that will capture electronic documents.  Of
course, even with such a system in place, there will be many challenges
ahead.)

However, I think there is some reason for very cautious optimism.
Institutional anniversaries, legal proceedings and other events requiring
access to historical records will, hopefully, emphasize the importance of
effective records management and archival practices in the electronic
realm, as they (sometimes) currently do with regards to paper.  It will, as
always, be an uphill battle.

Any ideas out there about how to promote an electronic records
management/archival agenda at either the national, local or institutional
level?

Joseph M. Komljenovich
Assistant Archivist
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Joseph.Komljenovich@ny.frb.org

Any comments or statements made in this transmission reflect the views of
the sender and are not necessarily the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of
New York.

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