Weighty tome is light on comprehensive RM best practices.

• Author: Taylor, Sheila
• Position: Book review

Designing an Effective Corporate Information, Knowledge Management, and Records Retention Compliance Program is the third volume in Thomson Reuters' multi-volume Corporate Compliance Series, which is designed to help organizations prevent and detect possible violations in law in such areas as intellectual property, securities, and antitrust.

The intended audience of this volume is attorneys practicing records management (RM) and professional corporate records mangers. Specifically, one of the author's objectives is "to introduce basic records management fundamentals to those just starting in this field or those lawyers expanding their practice into this area."

The Fundamentals

Introductory information is presented on such topics as:

* The fundamentals of effective corporate RM (e.g., the records life cycle concept, the objectives of a corporate RM program)

* How to establish and maintain a corporate RM program (e.g., developing a records retention schedule, marketing and selling a records retention compliance program)

* Steps in establishing an effective and Sarbanes-Oxley-compliant RM program

* Educating staff about RM (e.g., the theory of different learning styles, implementing a RM hotline)

* Conducting records audits (e.g., 26 essential "quality" criteria that information in corporate records should satisfy, how to conduct an audit)

Coverage of the fundamental topics is not comprehensive. For example, the author does not address digital preservation in Chapter 7 "Considerations for Computer Files and Electronic Records."

Some Misalignment

Some of the author's recommendations do not align with RM best practices; he lumps the development of a corporate RM policy in with topics such as reports management, storage issues, and tickler systems in Chapter 5 "Other Issues Involving Corporate Records," for example, rather than presenting it as an integral element in Chapter 3 "Establishing and Maintaining a Corporate RM Program."

Also, the author recommends setting minimum retention periods and periodically reviewing records at the end of those periods to determine whether additional retention should apply.

It is also curious that the author defines a record as "information one has recorded in some medium because there is a chance of it being needed in the future and whose disposition is determined by a corporate records schedule" and cites Doculabs' 1998 definition of the term while making no reference to the widely accepted definition in the...