Beruflich Dokumente
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Recordkeeping &
“Recordmaking”
Systems
Web sites are important sources of organizational records; not properly capturing
such records in trustworthy recordkeeping systems is risky
Rick Barry
O
n March 2, 2004, the organizations involved, journalists have each of the participating cities. (Editor’s
Washington Post broke a reported on the sudden and controversial note: See “Why Records Cooperatives?”
story concerning lead alteration or deletion of Web content in pg. 49.) The customer-friendly system
contamination in the apparent attempts to “change history.” distributes system costs across partici-
District of Columbia’s The fact is that Web sites produce offi- pating governments, significantly reduc-
drinking water. Neighboring Arlington cial representations to the public. Plainly ing their individual total cost of owner-
County, Virginia shares the same source, stated, Web sites make records, but they ship (TCO), a primary concern of CIOs.
and the article noted discrepancies in do not keep records in ways that match Bellevue is currently spearheading
the county’s public-facing Web site. up to sound recordkeeping require- another project to provide content man-
A follow-up front-page story the next ments. Chief executive officers (CEOs), agement services, including trustworthy
day stated: attorneys, chief information officers recordkeeping capabilities for interested
(CIOs), auditors, and content, records, alliance members.
“Arlington County officials began rec-
and other information managers: Just as organizational enterprise
ommending yesterday that pregnant
Beware. resource planning (ERP) systems, call
women and young children drink only
centers, e-mail, and instant messaging
tap water that has been flushed or fil-
Web Sites as “Recordmaking” systems are important producers of elec-
tered, after preliminary tests of water
Systems tronic records, so are organizational Web
in eight homes showed that five had
The use of Web-based e-business sites, intranets, extranets, and other
elevated levels of lead … As late as
applications on Web platforms is almost emerging information and communica-
mid-afternoon yesterday, the county's
ubiquitous in the private sector. E-gov- tions technologies (e.g., instant messag-
Web site carried the headline ‘Lead Not
ernment applications (including Web- ing, Web logs or “blogs,” agent and virtu-
a Concern in County Water.’ The Web
based) have become increasingly preva- al reality technologies) when used for
site did not mention that, on February
lent in the public sector as well, with business purposes. Blogs are viewed by
23, the county's Public Works
mandates at various government levels to some organizations as being more effec-
Department quietly began sampling
implement citizen access to e-gov services tive than Web sites for conducting public
water in Arlington homes built before
in the 2003-2005 timeframe. information and crisis management
1988, the last year lead solder was
Moreover, citizens are demanding activities.
used.”
such access. A 2004 Pew Internet & Observant archivists and records
Feeling sure that the contamination American Life Project survey report managers have been aware of the
problem did not affect Arlington, officials “How Americans Get in Touch with mounting Web-records issue for a few
had decided to leave the “Lead Not a Government” found that 97 million years through such sources as the
Concern in County Water” announce- adult Americans (77 percent of Internet National Archives and Records
ment on the county Web site until they users) participated in e-gov in 2003 by Administration (NARA), research
received results from a special testing visiting Web sites or e-mailing govern- funded by National Historical Publi-
program. ment officials to conduct transactions cations and Records Commission
The story illustrates the importance (e.g., paying bills, obtaining licenses), (NHPRC), an independent research-
of Web sites as sources – possibly the obtaining information, or solving prob- funding arm of NARA, and related
only sources – of many organizational lems. This reflected a growth of 50 per- research and implementation work in
records and the risks of not properly cent from 2002. several other organizations. A NHPRC
___. “As Fears Grow, Arlington Tests Water for Lead, D.C. Treatment Plant Supplies
Final Analysis: Web Content Is a County Homes.” Washington Post. 2 March 2004.
Record
The rapid uptake of e-business and Gupta, Amarnath. “Preserving Presidential Library Websites, A Case Study with the
e-gov applications using Web publish- Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Museum and Digital Archives.” San Diego Supercomputer
ing systems has outpaced the ability of Center, SDSC TR-2001-3. 18 January 2001. Available at www.sdsc.edu/TR/TR-2001-03.pdf
many organizations to properly man- (accessed 10 September 2004).
age the records produced in these sys-
tems. Often this is coupled with a lack Kahn, Randolph and Barclay T. Blair. Information Nation: Seven Keys to Information
of appreciation in the executive corri- Management Compliance. Silver Spring, Maryland: AIIM International, 2004.
dors that Web sites even produce
McClure, Charles R. and J. Timothy Sprehe. “Guidelines for Electronic Records
records. So long as this technology is
Management of State and Federal Websites.” Washington, D.C.: National Historical
used for business, customer-facing,
Publications and Records Commission, National Archives and Records Administration.
and public-facing purposes, the con-
January 1998. Available at www.mybestdocs.com (accessed 11 October 2004).
tent and transactions on such sites
constitute organizational records and ____. “Analysis and Development of Model Quality Guidelines for Electronic Records
therefore must be captured, preserved, Management on State and Federal Websites.” Washington, D.C.: National Historical
and managed into paper-based or elec- Publications and Records Commission, National Archives and Records Administration.
tronic records systems. Most such January 1998.
applications are adopted to reduce
paperwork, and some include multi- “How Americans Get in Touch with Government.” Washington, D.C.: Pew Internet &
media content not amenable to American Life Project. May 2004. Available at www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_E-
recording on paper. Gov_Report_0504.pdf (accessed 10 September 2004).
For most organizations, this means
that integration of Web content and International Standards Organization. ISO 15489-1:2001, Information and Documentation —
electronic records management is Records Management — Part 1: General. Geneva, Switzerland: ISO, 2001. Available at
essential. Failure to do so puts the www.iso.org/iso/en/CombinedQueryResult.CombinedQueryResult?queryString=iso+15489
organization at considerable legal, reg- (accessed 9 September 2004).
ulatory, and even ethical risk and
___. ISO 15489-2:2001, Information and Documentation — Records Management — Part 2:
opens it to alienation of its client and
Guidelines. Geneva, Switzerland: ISO, 2001. Available at www.iso.org/iso/en/Combined
public base. Moreover, it robs the
QueryResult.CombinedQuery Result?queryString = iso+15489 (accessed 9 September 2004).
organization of one of its most pre-
cious assets – hard-earned and well Jones, Virginia. “Protecting Records: What the Standards Tell Us.” The Information
paid-for institutional memory. Management Journal. March/April 2003.