Technology: What a dilemma!

Are you confused? More specifically, are you confused about record media? Sure, your friendly technology vendor is telling you how optical disk is the greatest. But how do you know that it's going to be better than microfilm--or magnetic disk--or paper for that matter?

The entire technology area can be very disconcerting and baffling if you don't know which way to go. A good records management system is an integrated system that includes microfilm, magnetic and optical storage, and paper! When do you use one type of medium as opposed to another?

If your organization has not entered the "alternate media" world, whether for reasons of cost, caution, or because the technology used in records systems wasn't understood or explained (or if you've jumped in with both feet and are now wondering why), the book, Applying Technology to Record Systems: A Media Guideline, will help you. It can assist you in choosing the mix of records storage media best suited to the nature of your information and the needs of your organization.

Published by the General Services Administration of the U.S. Federal Government, the book contains the tools and science to help you evaluate current systems. It presents the factors used to determine organizational needs and explains the media best suited for each application. Revealed beneath its soft cover is a treasure of information. The table of contents is a quick reference to the ten sections and lists what each encompasses. Following is a list of tables and a list of figures and forms. The foreword discusses the need for a publication of this type and acknowledges the people responsible for putting this book together.

The Introduction of Applying Technology to Record Systems: A Media Guideline discusses the function of records--from record creation, to the function of the recorded information, to the need for good records classification and indexing systems.

As we move forward, we begin a detailed look at understanding available media options to handle recorded information. Section two discusses the physical properties and limitations of different storage media, a section well-detailed on the physical nature of paper, microforms, digital, magnetic, and optical disk media. Section three discusses the fundamental differences in records, and the functional purpose and value that recorded information plays when planning a records management system. The differences must be recognized to ensure a well-integrated records system. To treat all records alike is to court disaster.

Variations and permutations of media are discussed in section four--a brief discussion of some of the ways each medium can be utilized and shows that each medium has many possible applications.

Once records are created they need to be found. Identification and retrieval aids form an integral part of any records management system. The indexing of information for aiding future retrieval is a critical factor with any storage medium, especially with optical disk systems. Ways of finding records are discussed in section five.

Applying technology to records management systems often means converting information from one medium to another. Section six explores some of the technologies that allow information capturing to help with the indexing and control of records.

Section seven discusses the difficulties in costing out a records system. The cost of using a medium is an important factor when making choices. Only by understanding the true costs of records can the opportunities for savings be identified. The cost considerations reviewed in this section are the true costs of a system.

The organizational considerations that should be examined before choosing a technology is discussed in section eight. Understanding how information is used in your organization is a significant part of choosing a storage medium. To help you assess your organization's operations, records and resource requirements, a series of forms are offered as an aid in this analysis.

Section nine, "Matching Needs and Media," contains a number of tables and forms to help you match your organizational needs with the medium best suited for your applications. This examination may uncover management deficiencies, rather than a deficiency with or within the current storage medium. Maybe your organization doesn't need a "technology revamp," but needs to review and assess its current records management practices.

Finally, section ten is designed as a guide for the manager who approves a change in media. It offers the manager insight to the type of questions that should be asked, what to look for in selecting a medium, and how to review and evaluate a request. Information from all previous sections is summarized and presented here in overview form. The evaluation factors analyzed in this section justify whether the reasons for change meet the organization's requirements or whether a need for more planning and investigation is required. Remember, your decision to change must be based on "what is best for the organization"--not what is best for the vendor!

The authors of this publication do not provide you with easy solutions. (There are no easy solutions to the media question.) But they do provide the framework in which you can analyze your records and your organization. They offer information on alternatives and the approaches needed to ensure the technology you choose will match your organizational needs.

This is a superb book. The design impressed me, and the excellent figures and tables placed throughout really add to the presentation. Overall, I found this book clear, legible, and easy to follow. The content enlightens you on how to become acquainted with new tools, how to use them wisely, and how to plan and investigate technology carefully when deciding to change to a new medium. Understanding media is the secret to your success as a records manager. With this book you can understand it--for only $8.00!

TITLE: Applying Technology To Record Systems: A Media Guideline

PUBLISHER: U.S. Federal Government/General Services Administration

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1993

LENGTH: 132 pages

PRICE: $8.00

ISBN: 0-16-041784-8

ORDER FROM: The Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Specify GPO Stock Number 022-003-01177-3 when ordering. MasterCard and Visa accepted.

Copyright Association of Records Managers Administrators Inc. Jan 1994
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved