Ethics Accountability And Recordkeeping In A Dangerous World

This series provides a body of core texts relating to the twin fields of records management and archives. Each volume offers a a detailed and professionally written overview of one or more topics within these fields.

This groundbreaking text demystifies archival and recordkeeping theory and its role in modern day practice. The book's great strength is in articulating some of the core principles and issues that shape the discipline and the impact and relevance they have for the 21st century professional. Using an accessible approach, it outlines and explores key literature and concepts and the role they can play in practice. Leading international thinkers and practitioners from the archives and records management world, Jeannette Bastian, Alan Bell, Anne Gilliland, Rachel Hardiman, Eric Ketelaar, Jennifer Meehan and Caroline Williams, consider the concepts and ideas behind the practicalities of archives and records management to draw out their importance and relevance. Key topics covered include: • Concepts, roles and definitions of records and archives • Archival appraisal • Arrangement and description • Ethics for archivists and records managers • Archives, memories and identities • The impact of philosophy on archives and records management • Does technological change marginalize recordkeeping theory? Readership: This is essential reading for students and educators in archives and recordkeeping and invaluable as a guide for practitioners who want to better understand and inform their day-to-day work. It is also a useful guide across related disciplines in the information sciences and humanities.

The way in which we view the nature of archives and the role of the archivist has changed significantly in the last few decades. With increasing interest from outside of the profession, the idea of archives as the static, impartial carriers of truth and the archivist as a guardian of records has been questioned: how can society take greater control over its own written memory? There have been a number of other changes which have impacted upon the way archivists conceive of themselves and the way in which they work. Chief among these are the rapid rise of technology and the challenges this poses, and the changing place of archives within related fields, such as records and information management. It is imperative that archivists engage with these challenges if archives are to emerge as a renewed force in the 21st century. This much-needed book is designed not as a practical guide to professional practice, but rather as a reader addressing these challenges. The chapters are contributed by leaders in the field, and are grouped around the following four core themes: defining archives shaping a discipline Archives 2.0: archives in society archives in the information age: is there still a role for the archivist? Each chapter represents a defined argument in its own right to enable readers to dip in and out of the collection as they wish, and the book is structured to highlight chapters that share a common theme. Readership: Archivists and students of archive administration.

Currents of Archival Thinking explores key topics in the theory and practice of archival studies within three frameworks: (1) the foundational concepts of the discipline, (2) the main components of the archival mission, and (3) the metaphors that shape how we think about archives and archival institutions. Each essay will explore a given topic from both a historical and contemporary perspective, with contributors drawn from Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States and featuring a mix of academics and practitioners.

This book explores how an understanding of organisational information culture provides the insight necessary for the development and promotion of sound recordkeeping practices. It details an innovative framework for analysing and assessing information culture, and indicates how to use this knowledge to change behaviour and develop recordkeeping practices that are aligned with the specific characteristics of any workplace. This framework addresses the widely recognised problem of improving organisation-wide compliance with a records management programme by tackling the different aspects that make up the organisation’s information culture. Discussion of topics at each level of the framework includes strategies and guidelines for assessment, followed by suggestions for next steps: appropriate actions and strategies to influence behavioural change. Key topics covered include: background and context; the value accorded to records; information preferences; language considerations and regional technological infrastructure; information-related competencies; awareness of environmental requirements relating to records; corporate information technology governance; trust in recordkeeping systems; bringing it all together. Archivists, records managers and information technology specialists will find this an invaluable guide to improving their practice and solving the ‘people problem’ of non-compliance with records management programmes. LIS students taking archives and records management modules will also benefit from the application of theory into practice. Records management and information management educators will find the ideas and approaches discussed in this book useful to add an information culture perspective to their curricula.

Whether an institution has a collections orientation or whether it is primarily responsible for managing institutional archives in conjunction with an organizational records management programme, those responsible for its archives and records management need specialist advice and practical guidance in the successful establishment and operation of an archival facility built on sound principles. This authoritative handbook, written by an archival professional with over 25 years' experience, offers just that. Addressing the contextual, strategic and operational issues associated with archives, the text covers everything the archivist needs to know: establishing principles, policies and procedures; managing day-to-day operations; caring for different types of archival materials; enhancing outreach and public access; and ensuring the growth and sustainability of the institution and its services. The key chapters are: What are archives? Archival institutions: creatures of history and culture Archival service: a matter of trust Protecting archives Provenance, original order and respect des fonds Appraising and acquiring archives Arranging and describing archives Making archives available The challenge of digital archives. The final section of the book offers a glossary of terms and a wide range of specialist information including comprehensive lists of recommended further reading, national institutions, professional bodies and other sources of advice. Readership: This book is essential reading for anyone involved in managing archives. Its straightforward and approachable language ensures that fundamental principles and practices are outlined clearly for novice archivists and non-specialists; experienced professionals will also find the work of immense value in validating or updating their understanding of archival operations. The issues addressed are relevant to archival practice internationally, particularly in English-speaking countries, and concepts in place in different parts of the world are examined in order to provide a global context.

The scope and reach of information, driven by the explosive growth of information technologies and content types, has expanded dramatically over the past 30 years. The consequences of these changes to records and information management (RIM) professionals are profound, necessitating not only specialized knowledge but added responsibilities. RIM professionals require a professional ethics to guide them in their daily practice and to form a basis for developing and implementing organizational policies, and Mooradian’s new book provides a rigorous outline of such an ethics. Taking an authoritative principles/rules based approach to the subject, this book comprehensively addresses the structure of ethics, outlining principles, moral rules, judgements, and exceptions;ethical reasoning, from meaning and logic to dilemmas and decision methods;the ethical core of RIM, discussing key topics such as organizational context, the positive value of accountability, conflicts of interest, and confidentiality;important ethical concerns like copyright and intellectual property, whistleblowing, information leaks, disclosure, and privacy; andthe relationship between RIM ethics and information governance. An essential handbook for information professionals who manage records, archives, data, and other content, this book is also an ideal teaching text for students of information ethics.

The Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, comprising of seven volumes, now in its fourth edition, compiles the contributions of major researchers and practitioners and explores the cultural institutions of more than 30 countries. This major reference presents over 550 entries extensively reviewed for accuracy in seven print volumes or online. The new fourth edition, which includes 55 new entires and 60 revised entries, continues to reflect the growing convergence among the disciplines that influence information and the cultural record, with coverage of the latest topics as well as classic articles of historical and theoretical importance.