5c Electronic Records, Paper Minds: Are We There yet?
Tracks
Practice and Identity
| Tuesday, October 18, 2022 |
| 1:15 PM - 2:45 PM |
Presentation Type
Traditional Paper -- Moderator: Dr Eva Samaras
Session Information
Expanding Roles: The role of the professional archivist in the modern records environment must inevitably change if the archivist is to remain relevant for current and future business practices. Equally importantly are current and future expectations of the community for records. Session 5 will consider the following aspects of records and archives: are archivists - and in what ways - still conceptually driven by paper-based concepts; where data and records are being collected electronically by automated systems, how can such processes be managed legally and fairly; and not all FOI practitioners are archivists and this 'outsidership' leads to questions and issues for the archivist.
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Ms Tash Murray
Senior Records Analyst
Monash University
Electronic Records, Paper Minds: Are We There yet?
Ms Catherine Nicholls
Records Manager
Monash University
Electronic Records, Paper Minds: Are We There yet?
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This presentation will revisit the 1994 Terry Cook article, “Electronic records: paper minds: the revolution in information management and archives in the post-custodial and post-modernist era” paper with a year 2022 lens. At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive to be revisiting a paper that was published 28 years ago, especially one that discusses the future of recordkeeping in the electronic age, but … here we are!
Speaking of the conference theme - “Here We Are”, and the idea of developing practices, Cook’s paper (which he himself noted was ‘intended for discussion and debate’) provides a useful kick-off point for reflection on a range of questions including:
- whether or not our field has successfully re-conceptualised the traditional strengths of the profession and transformed it for the new age (which is now);
- whether we are still using our ‘paper minds to cope with electronic realities’ ; and
- if our profession has re-orientated itself from the content to the context, from the end result to the original empowering intent, that is, from focusing on the artefact (the actual record) over the creating processes behind it, and thus to the actions, programs and functions behind those processes?
The paper plans to address these questions from a practical viewpoint by drawing on the recordkeeping stories the authors have acquired from their professional working lives. In particular, they have both recognised the need to constantly adapt existing practices to fit into new and changing environments. To make these changes work, it has been necessary to strip some traditional approaches back to basics, like how to assess systems to ascertain if they can comply with retention and disposal requirements. While other tasks like metrics and reporting have evolved from a basic activity to something which now sits centre stage as it draws a lot of interest from key stakeholders, including executive stakeholders.
While these changes have been successful, the paper will reflect on the theoretical underpinnings of the practical work presented, as there is a lot of debate and in some cases, discomfort in terms of letting some traditional practices go. Therefore the aim of the paper is to determine if the figurative records baby has been thrown out with the paper-minded bathwater and if it hasn’t, identify how current recordkeeping theory might support this more disruptive approach which could be argued, was outlined by Cook, all those many years ago.
Speaking of the conference theme - “Here We Are”, and the idea of developing practices, Cook’s paper (which he himself noted was ‘intended for discussion and debate’) provides a useful kick-off point for reflection on a range of questions including:
- whether or not our field has successfully re-conceptualised the traditional strengths of the profession and transformed it for the new age (which is now);
- whether we are still using our ‘paper minds to cope with electronic realities’ ; and
- if our profession has re-orientated itself from the content to the context, from the end result to the original empowering intent, that is, from focusing on the artefact (the actual record) over the creating processes behind it, and thus to the actions, programs and functions behind those processes?
The paper plans to address these questions from a practical viewpoint by drawing on the recordkeeping stories the authors have acquired from their professional working lives. In particular, they have both recognised the need to constantly adapt existing practices to fit into new and changing environments. To make these changes work, it has been necessary to strip some traditional approaches back to basics, like how to assess systems to ascertain if they can comply with retention and disposal requirements. While other tasks like metrics and reporting have evolved from a basic activity to something which now sits centre stage as it draws a lot of interest from key stakeholders, including executive stakeholders.
While these changes have been successful, the paper will reflect on the theoretical underpinnings of the practical work presented, as there is a lot of debate and in some cases, discomfort in terms of letting some traditional practices go. Therefore the aim of the paper is to determine if the figurative records baby has been thrown out with the paper-minded bathwater and if it hasn’t, identify how current recordkeeping theory might support this more disruptive approach which could be argued, was outlined by Cook, all those many years ago.
