Myers, Mark

English

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18				 MAC Newsletter  •  April	2010Electronic Currents—Christopher Prom, Assistant Editor, University of IllinoisThe Evolution of an Electronic Archives Program By Mark Myers, Kentucky Department for Libraries and ArchivesIn	my	last	column	(October	2009),	I	introduced	myself	by	discussing	how	I	became	an	electronic	records	archivist.	I	 would	 like	 to	 continue	 the	 introduction	 by	 telling	 a	little	about	the	institution	that	I	work	for,	the	Kentucky	Department	for	Libraries	and	Archives	(KDLA),	and	by	describing	the	evolution	of	its	electronic	records	program.	I	 do	 this	 not	 to	 hold	 up	 KDLA	 as	 the	 model	 for	 all	electronic	records	programs	or	to	say	that	everything	we	have	done	is	perfect	and	correct.	The	electronic	records	program	at	KDLA	is	what	it	is,	and	it	works	well	for	the	state	of	Kentucky.	The	point	of	 this	 introduction	 is	 to	lay	 the	 foundation	 for	 future	 discussions	 on	 electronic	records	 issues	and	to	provide	 readers	an	understanding	of	 the	 particular	 perspective	 that	 I	 bring	 to	 electronic	records	management.KDLA	is	the	state	library,	the	state	archives,	and	the	state	records	management	 authority.	Kentucky	 is	 one	of	 ten	states	in	which	these	three	functions	are	combined	into	one	department.	KDLA	 is	directed	by	 a	 commissioner	who	is	 the	state	 librarian.	It	has	 four	divisions:	 two	on	the	 library	 side,	operating	 the	 state	 library	and	provid-ing	support	for	public	libraries	throughout	the	state;	an	administrative	division,	housing	the	commissioner’s	office	and	providing	support	for	the	department;	and	the	Public	Records	Division	(PRD),	which	houses	the	state	archives	and	records	management	branches.	The	 PRD	 consists	 of	 five	 branches	 that	 offer	 records	management	services	to	state	and	local	government	agen-cies,	preserve	and	provide	access	 to	the	holdings	of	 the	state	archives,	and	provide	microfilm	and	digital	imaging	services	to	state	and	local	agencies.	The	branch	in	which	I	work,	Technology	Analysis	and	Support	(TAS),	provides	technology	assistance	to	all	of	the	other	PRD	branches	through	database	development	and	management,	records	management	 services	 related	 to	 electronic	 records,	 and	digital	preservation	via	administration	of	the	e-archives.	KDLA	is	one	of	 the	 larger	 state	archives	with	approxi-mately	100,000	cubic	feet	of	permanent	records	and	two	off-site	 records	 centers	 for	 state	 agencies	 with	 approxi-mately	196,000	cubic	feet	of	records.	It	began	scheduling	electronic	 records	 in	 the	 late	 1970s.	 These	 “machine	readable	records,”	as	they	were	called,	consisted	mainly	of	the	output	of	data	processing	systems	and	mainframe	computers.	PRD	staff	had	little	background	or	knowledge	in	dealing	with	these	systems	and	relied	on	the	information	technology	(IT)	staff	within	state	agencies	to	describe	and	categorize	these	records.	In	1983,	the	State	Archives	and	Records	 Commission,	 along	 with	 the	 state	 legislature,	which	 had	 been	 concerned	 that	 many	 costly	 systems	were	sprouting	up	throughout	state	government,	formed	a	 joint	 Machine	 Readable	 Records	 Taskforce	 to	 find	ways	to	reduce	cost	and	duplication	of	systems.	Realizing	that	more	education	was	needed,	KDLA	secured	a	grant	from	the	National	Historical	Publications	and	Records	Commission	 to	 study	 machine-readable	 records.	 PRD	staff	used	 this	 grant	 to	 attend	workshops,	 conferences,	and	training	sessions	 to	 learn	more	about	dealing	with	electronic	records.	Most	notably,	several	staff	attended	the	“Camp	Pitt”	Pittsburgh	Project,	looking	at	the	functional	requirements	for	evidence	in	record	keeping,	hosted	by	the	University	of	Pittsburgh	in	the	early	1990s.	Formed	 in	 1984,	 the	 Kentucky	 Information	 Systems	Commission	 (KISC)	 required	 state	 agencies	 to	 submit	information	resource	plans	(IRPs)	in	order	to	get	funding	for	systems.	The	IRPs	detailed	the	agency’s	plans	for	the	system.	The	state	archivist	at	the	time,	Lew	Bellardo	(later	deputy	archivist	of	the	United	States),	had	a	seat	on	the	commission.	In	the	early	1990s,	KISC	was	reorganized	and	renamed	the	Kentucky	Information	Resource	Man-agement	Commission	(KIRM),	with	the	state	 librarian	as	the	chair.	Gradually,	the	quality	of	information	in	the	IRPs	 began	 to	 decline.	 In	 the	 mid-1990s,	 yet	 another	incarnation	of	the	KISC/KIRM	groups	was	launched	with	a	renewed	focus	on	enterprise-wide	systems	that	would	benefit	multiple	agencies.	The	state	IT	department	was	reorganized	under	a	state	chief	information	officer	and	ad-opted	enterprise	IT	architecture	and	standards	(hardware	and	 software	 requirements	 and	 recommendations	 that	state	agencies	had	to	follow)	and	a	statewide	centralization	of	IT	assets.	Another	aspect	of	the	new	program	was	the	heavy	promotion	of	e-government	services.By	 the	 late	 1990s,	 KDLA	 began	 to	 realize	 that	 the	electronic	records	program	had	begun	to	lag	behind	the	changes	in	technology	and	hired	a	consultant	to	evaluate	the	program	and	make	changes	that	would	enhance	its	role	 and	 ability	 to	 adapt	 to	 changing	 circumstances.	 I	will	describe	the	results	of	that	process	more	fully	in	my	next	column.	MAC Newsletter  •  April	2010					19	 ELECTRONIC CURRENTS—ContinuedChristopher Prom, Assistant Editor KDLA’s	relationship	with	our	state	information	technol-ogy	department	was	a	critical	factor	in	the	successes	that	we	achieved.	That	relationship	was	cultivated	over	many	years	 and	 continues	 today.	 It	 has	 been	 built	 on	 hard	work,	common	interest,	and	a	lot	of	luck	and	goodwill.	The	archival	units	of	any	organization	must	build	and	cultivate	this	kind	of	relationship	as	more	and	more	records	are	 created	 and	 stored	 in	 electronic	 format.	 Without	it,	 the	 program	 will	 find	 that	 it	 is	 impossible	 to	 make	real	headway	in	building	a	solid,	long-lasting	electronic	archives	program.Deadlines for  MAC Newsletters:January issue: November 10April issue: February 10July issue: May 10October issue: August 10Send items to:Kathy KochMAC Newsletter EditorAmerican Association of  Nurse Anesthetists222 South Prospect AvenuePark Ridge, IL 60068-4037847-655-1106kkoch@aana.comAnswering “What is an archivist?” since 1989.

The Evolution of an Electronic Archives Program

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The Evolution of an Electronic Archives Program

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