Jason Bell
Competency D
Have expertise in the basic concepts and principles used to identify, evaluate, select, organize, maintain, and provide access to records of current and enduring value.
Introduction
From their creation to their destruction or long term preservation records are always changing. As creation relates to birth and destruction relates to death it was not a large leap to develop the concept of a record having a life cycle. During its lifecycle a record is created, classified, used, retained, and then disposed of or archived. At each stage of its life the record requires a record keeper with different skill sets. For example, those who create records have a much different focus than those that care for them during other stages of their lifespan.
Archival and Record Information Management is the process of caring for records as they make their way through their lifespan. Once in our care it is up to us to place value on the records. How long will the records be useful to a given organization and will the records hold value to others outside the organization? Furthermore, we need to understand much information needs to be protected, such as a person’s medical information. Regardless of how hard it is to secure information especially now with more coming in daily than we can humanly deal with, it is still our responsibility to make sure personal information is secure. “Information is being created all the time, and the rate is doubling at least every 18 months,” said Howard Loos, CRM, director, Gimmal Group” (Hoke, 29). As keepers we too determine the length of time a group of records shall be in use as well as how it should be kept. Deciding a records lifecycle requires diligent communication with organizational leaders, especially legal staff. Keepers, too, must be well versed in how long various records should be retained and aware of any pending issues such as court cases, which would require a hold to be placed on the record(s) involved.
In the records useful and archived stages, it is up to the keepers to be aware how a records access may change and become obsolete without following the best possible practices. Record keepers are responsible to make sure information created on legacy systems can continue to be accessed until their destroyed. Or if the records are earmarked for preservation then it is up to the Archivist to either have the materials accessible as they were created (maintaining a legacy system) or to convert them to a lasting form, a preservation format for example.
Supporting Evidence
During the time I started the following assignments I was surrounded by paperwork, my bills, my father’s medical paperwork and his legal paperwork all of which needed organization. I classified all of our records into 5 series: Accounts and Bills, Personal Materials, Medical Records, Legal Documents, and Historical Materials. In the creation of these series I struggled with what records belong with which series. I was able to gain understanding of keeping the collections in the most original series possible. Society of American Archivist (SAA) to the rescue. The SAA defines respect des fonds as “…The entire body of records of an organization, family, or individual that have been created and accumulated as the result of an organic process reflecting the functions of the creator.” This exercise gave me an understanding of how to respect des fonds while dividing up our documents into series.
Records Retention Schedule: Functional Analysis & Records Survey
When I began this program I had many good thoughts about organizing old photos, glass plate negatives, old books, but I had no idea I would be organizing my own financial and personal records. Without having this experience with records management, I would have piles of old bank statements bills with account numbers, not to mention my father’s information. I was able to gain an understanding of what my collections consisted of. After considering many sources, I was able to dispose of many old bills and bank statements as per recommended retention periods.
Conclusion
The hardest lesson to grasp here was how I respect des fonds if I am combining my bill statements with my fathers. I was told by Jason, the instructor, at the time to look at the bill statements not as my father’s or mine but as the family’s bills. In this manner of thinking how could I not see that they would fit into the same series? I also developed an understanding of having a management program in place if you are aware of an increase of records coming your way. Often I am asked what medication my father was taken at a given point. Before I had organized our files I would go from pile to pile looking through junk mail, old bills from years ago, and a few candy wrappers. Using guides and some common sense, I disposed of what I classified as reaching the disposition date; this enabled a much faster response time when acquiring the medication list asked for.
References
Hoke, G. E. (2011). Records Life Cycle: A Cradle-to-Grave Metaphor. Information Management Journal, 45(5), 28-32.