LIBR 284
Seminar in Archives and Records Management
Fall 2004

Instructor: Lori Lindberg
Office: Module E 126-3
Phone: 408-924-2490
E-mail

Class is on Blackboard

GREENSHEET

 COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This semester’s Seminar topic is the management of electronic records.

This course is an introduction to the long-term management of materials created by or maintained electronically as part of organizational, research, or personal activities. Topics include the nature of electronic records and evidence; reliability and authenticity in electronic records; electronic records management policy formulation; enterprise and risk management strategies; functional and business process analysis; systems analysis and design; the role and nature of recordkeeping metadata; strategies, techniques, and technologies for the long-term preservation of electronic records; industry, national, and international standards relating to electronic recordkeeping; and the development of digital access programs.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to identify the various types and functions of electronic systems created and maintained by organizations and individuals in the conduct of their activities; to discuss the roles of various stakeholders in the management of the electronic materials created by those systems; to frame and articulate to archivists and non-archivists the technical, theoretical, legal, and historical issues associated with the long-term administration of electronic records; and to demonstrate the relationship of archival science to other professions in this context.

More specifically, students should be able to:

• discuss differences between records and other forms of digital materials;

• define the following terms or concepts: “electronic records,” “evidence,” “reliability,” “authenticity,” and “recordkeeping metadata;”

• identify sources of warrant for electronic recordkeeping;

• identify and articulate theoretical and practical differences and similarities between key electronic records research models;

• establish and present a business case for recordkeeping;

• undertake a business process analysis, construct an agency-specific functions thesaurus, and recommend records retention schedules for records of common or specific administrative functions;

• identify appropriate metadata standards for control and retrieval of records;

• design or select records management software products and other electronic business information systems that meet an agency's requirements to create, control, retrieve and dispose of records; and

• identify and discuss a range of organizational variables as they might affect a range of programmatic strategies.

This class supports these objectives of the San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science:

• Teaching students the major theories, important principles, and current practice in:

1. Information management, including the selection, organization, storage, retrieval, dissemination and utilization of information resources.

2. The application of diverse technologies to information management.

3. One or more specialized aspects of information management.

• Giving students the opportunity to take elective courses, practicum, and independent studies that prepare them to contribute to the work of the library and information professions.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

DIRKS Manual (available from:  http://www.naa.gov.au/recordkeeping/dirks/dirksman/dirks.html)

Reference Model for an Open Archival Information System (OAIS) – CCSDS (available from: http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/nost/isoas/ref_model.html)

All other readings will be available to students online via Blackboard. Most are URLs, but some are scanned chapters from the following text:

Optional: (but highly recommended if you do not have a high-speed internet connection):

Saffady, William. Managing Electronic Records, 3rd ed. Lenexa , KS : ARMA International, 2002.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:

Grading will be based on a total accumulation of 100 possible points, distributed as follows:

Class participation on discussion boards and class exercises: 10%

Preservation strategy development: 40%

Business process analysis: 50%

The details of the Preservation Strategy Development and the Business Process Analysis, including due dates, are loaded on Blackboard under Assignments.

This class follows the University recommended grading scale for graduate students.

University Recommended Grading Scale for Graduate Students

97-100 = A

94-96 = A-

91-93 = B+

88-90 = B

85-87 = B-

82-84 = C+

79-81 = C

76-78 = C-

73-75 = D+

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