Nicole Convery
The records continuum made waves in Britain in the early 2000s and was variously hailed as a long needed theoretical framework for electronic information management or rejected as an abstract model that has little relevance for recordkeeping processes. What made the model so appealing to some was its move away from a linear view of recordkeeping processes to a multi-dimensional way of seeing and perceiving recordkeeping responsibilities (Upward 198, McKemmish 10).[1] Archivists and records managers, now no longer seen as at opposite ends of the professional scale, were asked to exert their influence at creation state to ensure the right records were created and to help develop coherent recordkeeping systems. A proactive approach to the creation, management, and not least the appraisal of records was stipulated, so that records were fit to not only serve business needs but also wider societal interests in permanence.[2] Proactive appraisal at creation stage is essential to ensure the continued accessibility, authenticity and integrity of digital material. Practically that meant that recordkeeping professionals should concentrate on embedding recordkeeping concerns into ICT systems used in modern organisations. The reality is that most of us are still sorting through the paper legacy mountain trying to reactively apply appraisal criteria that would satisfy primarily the organisation’s compliance framework and risk appetite and often only as an afterthought wider societal expectations. It seems that even though the continuum provided many answers to emerging professional issues, it has never really gained much traction in UK recordkeeping practices and appraisal is mostly still a reactive assessment of semi- or non-current records, often even still in paper format. Continue reading
Recordkeeping Roundtable 