APPROACHES TO Electronic Records Management.

• Author: COX, RICHARD J.

For a long time, records professionals reflected a deep irony about their professional mission and day-to-day work. Although they were responsible in their organizations -- and ultimately to society -- for administration of all recorded information, archivists and records managers seemed unable to cope with the increasing use of electronic information technologies to create and maintain records. For a while, records professionals looked away, even concluding that electronic documents were, perhaps, not records at all. Then they worried about their loss of credibility, the future of their profession, and, ultimately, their jobs. Finally, archivists and records managers began to work on policy, legal, and technical solutions to electronic records challenges and problems, some even acknowledging that such matters really went to the very heart of their responsibilities.

Now, we seem to be witnessing another shift. Recent legislation, such as the Electronic Signatures in National and Global E-Commerce Act (June 2000) along with announcements of technical developments, such as the work of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) with the San Diego Super-Computer Center, Georgia Tech's Research Institute, and several other government agencies, seem to herald a new era of focus by records professionals on electronic records matters.

Increasingly, issues of The Information Management Journal reflect ARMA International's interests in the globalization of electronic records and in standards of practice (ISO 9000 and Australia's AS 4390) having information management implications. Accordingly, this issue of the Journal reflects the more recent, interesting, and successful phase of work with electronic records systems, as well as suggesting continuing needs. Here one finds discussions of legal, technical, policy, and theoretical approaches to resolving challenges posed by the constantly changing technologies being used to create records. It reflects as well the fact that electronic records concerns are an internationally shared problem.

The first contribution in this issue is David Wallace's analysis of the significant court cases concerning the federal government's uses of electronic mail and its scheduling of electronic records. Partially because of the landmark issues raised in these cases, new interest arose about electronic records management research and development. It also suggests an enhanced understanding of the role of...