This weeks question I find particularly challenging and maybe this is because it reflects my lack of technical knowledge. Regardless, I would try and keep most of my information in paper format in a locked, safe space, with no sunlight kept at a stable temperature and RH level. There is something about having information on a tangible thing that comforts me (maybe I have digital anxiety?). These could be scanned to a hard drive if need be and I am sure I could find a manual of best practices for data storage which I would follow.
For my own proposal, my project is low risk and not dealing with sensitive information, however I may employ digital surveys or other information which would be encrypted, possibly in a pdf. I am just wrapping up my first term in the MI program so I am sure I will learn of better techniques when I take Knowledge Organization and Managing Organizational Records later down the road.
Thanks for your post, H.Fox. I am not in records management; I am not familiar with some of the physical copy best-practices you mention. However, I have been tasked with writing the job description for a records manager contract. My organization currently has records but no management of them. We have important documents (i.e. Executive minutes) dating back decades that are mostly unorganized and dispersed across our basement offices. We need to get compliant with the ONCA that requires copies of important documents (including minutes) to be kept off-site. I imagine (and am going to suggest) that we digitize all our old documents and destroy the paper copies.
ReplyDeleteWhich will last longer: paper or digital? Time will tell. In any case, for our messy offices, digital is likely the way to move forward.