Effective Records Management Project : Making Digital Documents Survive

Introduction

A large proportion of the information resource of HEIs is now created, stored, distributed and used in digital forms. Some of this information constitutes records: it acts as evidence of the institution's activities, and various agencies may require that this evidence is produced at some point in the future.

The characteristics of the digital environment present a new series of challenges to the records manager who must ensure that:

the information content, the structure and the context of the record are adequately captured
all these facets of the record remain accessible in the face of technological change

The key questions we address in this seminar are:

What characteristics of the digital environment shape our strategies for ensuring the long-term survival of digital records?
What practical approaches might we adopt to preserving different types of digital record that have continuing value?
Does working in a digital environment bring changes to the roles and responsibilities of record creators and their custodians?

The speakers come from environments that are concerned with the problems HEIs face. There will be an opportunity to raise and discuss issues with the speakers and members of the Effective Records Management (ERM) team.

This ERM project is based within the University of Glasgow Archives and Business Records Centre and is funded by the JISC Technology Applications Programme (JTAP).

Program

The program for the workshop is:

10.00 am to 10.25 am	Registration and coffee
10.25 am to 10.30 am	Welcome address	tbc
10.30 am to 11.00 am	Introduction: from memos to email	James Currall, Information Strategy Officer, University of Glasgow
11.00 am to 11.45 am	Digital datasets: resolving the problems of archival preservation	Kevin Ashley, Project Manager, UK National Digital Archive of Datasets (NDAD), University of London Computer Centre
11.45 am to 12.30 pm	Digital documents: resolving the problems of archival preservation	Monica Scott, Archivist, British Council
12.30 to 1.00 pm	Questions and discussion
1.00 pm to 2.00 pm	Lunch
2.00 pm to 2.45 pm	Metadata for digital preservation: the RLG experience	Nancy Elkington, Research Libraries Group
2.45 to 3.00 pm	Questions and discussion
3.00 pm to 3.15 pm	Tea
3.15 pm to 4.00 pm	Preservation issues : discussion groups
4.00 pm to 4.30 pm	Closing comments	Prof Michael Moss, Glasgow University Archives and Business Records Centre

Venue

The workshop will take place at the Senate Room, Gilbert Scott Building, University of Glasgow, with registration and meal breaks in the Carnegie Room (adjoining).

Booking information

The cost of the workshop is:

for full-time students, £20
for staff of UK HE institutions, £35
for others, £50

This price includes coffee, tea and buffet lunch. Please notify any special dietary requirements when you make your booking.

To make a booking, please use the form or contact:

Marjorie Espiner, Glasgow University Archives and Business Records Centre, 77-87 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow G11 6PP
Telephone: 0141 330 4159
Fax: 0141 330 4158
Email: m.espiner@archives.gla.ac.uk