Electronic Records Program First Year Report August, 1995 Paper and electronic copies of this report are available upon request. Write or call to: Electronic Records Program First Year Report State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Archives Division 816 State Street Madison, Wisconsin 53706 608-264-6450 This report is also available on the Archives Division World Wide Web Information Resource at This report was printed and distributed in August of 1995 Table of Contents Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i Program Mandate First Year Summary Data Management and Administration Service and Outreach Electronic Records Program Advisory Group Issues Affecting the Management and Preservation of State Electronic Information and Records I. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 II. First Year Accomplishments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Data Management and Administration Service and Outreach Electronic Records Program Advisory Group III. Issues Affecting the Management and Preservation of State Electronic Information and Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Policies and Procedures Information Management Technology IV. Work plan for 1995/1996. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Service/Outreach Data Administration Appendix 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Series Reappraised by the Electronic Records Program Staff Appendix 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Series Scheduled to Be Retained Permanently in the Creating Agency or the State Archives Appendix 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Electronic Records Transmittal Form Appendix 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Electronic Records Accession Guidelines Appendix 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Electronic Records Program and Advisory Group Planning Issues Executive Summary Program Mandate The Electronic Records Program was established by 1993 Wisconsin Act 257. Wisconsin Statute 44.095 states that the historical society shall create a pilot electronic records program ...and shall do all of the following: -Assist state agencies in planning archival management of their electronic records; -Examine and evaluate options for the protection, preservation and accessibility of electronic records of permanent historical value; -Develop procedures for the protection, preservation and accessibility of electronic records of permanent historical value; -Develop and periodically update a comprehensive plan for the protection, preservation and accessibility of electronic records of permanent historical value; and -The historical society shall submit the plan by June 30, 1995, and plan updates annually thereafter until June 30, 1998 to the Governor, the Legislature under s.13.172(2), the -Privacy Advocate, the Division of Information Technology Services and the Council on Information Technology in the Department of Administration. First Year Summary The Electronic Records Program made a significant amount of progress in its first year. The program's first year plan focused on the following areas: Data Management and Administration,Service and Outreach, and the establishment of an advisory group to assist in planning and information sharing. Program staff have also identified several issues affecting the management and preservation of state electronic information and records. Data Management and Administration Program staff worked to better understand the technical and administrative issues related to managing and preserving electronic records. To accomplish this, program staff focused internally on the State Archives electronic records program requirements and externally on agency electronic records management and data administration practices. Internally, program staff improved access to electronic records that were stored at the State Archives, investigated several scenarios for storing electronic records, established draft procedures and guidelines for agency submission of electronic records to the State Archives, created Division-wide guidelines and procedures for some types of electronic records, and reviewed all state agency disposition authorizations that scheduled electronic records. Externally, program staff worked with several agencies to evaluate the historical value of selected electronic systems. Service and Outreach Program staff met with state agency records officers, information technology professionals,program staff, and administrators to assist them in the development of Records Disposition Authorizations for automated systems. Staff provided consultation on state laws, rules and legal precedents that affect electronic record keeping, as well as general information on the issues of managing and preserving state electronic records. Program staff also participated in statewide automation planning meetings, spoke to records-related groups, taught a class on scheduling electronic records systems, and presented papers at a regional archives conference. The outcome of the program's service and outreach work has been an increase of state government offices that know about the Electronic Records Program and the staff expertise available to deal with electronic records issues and problems. Electronic Records Program Advisory Group In order to expand upon program staff work and gain credibility in state agencies, the State Archives has established an advisory group of representatives from a variety of technological,record keeping, and policy related areas. The group held its first meeting in May and will meet quarterly to discuss strategies for meeting the Electronic Records Program's goals and objectives. Issues Affecting the Management and Preservation of State Electronic Information and Records Program staff have identified several areas that present challenges to ensuring that the state's electronic information and records are identified, preserved and made accessible.  The state lacks a coherent, centralized information management policy.  There continues to be confusion regarding the status of electronic data as public records.  The programs established to help manage public records have failed to prevent the loss of important electronic information and records.  Preservation of electronic information and records requires the preservation of the medium, technology and intellectual content.  Imaging does not ensure the preservation of the state's important records.  The state lacks a clear policy regarding the public record status of electronic mail communications created in the course of state business. I. Introduction The State of Wisconsin is in a period of technological change. State agencies, local governments, the courts, and the Legislature increasingly are embracing computer technology to meet mandates more efficiently. Further evidence of this transition is the focus in the 1995-96 budget on using information technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs and the 1995 Executive Order establishing an enterprise-wide approach to information technology. During this time of change it has become apparent that new technology also poses serious challenges to documenting the evidence of state government work and decisions. The State can no longer assume that it will be able to access important information and records that have simply been stored for a decade or more. The need for special hardware, software, and descriptive documentation to retrieve and understand electronic information and records requires advanced planning and constant attention. Failure to provide this produces electronic data that will be inaccessible and unreadable in the near future. The Electronic Records Program was established at the State Archives to investigate the issues of preserving electronic records with historical value. In order to accomplish that mandate, the State Archives must address the ongoing management of the electronic systems, not just preservation of electronic information and records. The State Archives believes that the most fundamental issue for ensuring that electronic information and records are properly preserved is to ensure that electronic data is properly managed while in the custody of the creating agency. If a state agency can ensure accessibility and readability of all data for which it is responsible, the state's historical record has a better chance of surviving. This report will provide background information on the program staff's accomplishments in working with state agencies to manage their electronic records and describe program staff's accomplishments in managing the electronic records held by the State Archives. Both of these accomplishments have allowed staff to identify a number of issues which are outlined at the end of the report. II. First Year Accomplishments Data Management and Administration In order to better understand the data processing environment in which the State Archives must meet its mandate, program staff investigated several data management and administration areas. First, staff improved access to electronic records in the State Archives' custody; second, staff completed an internal review of data administration policies, procedures and practices; third, staff reviewed all existing Records Disposition Authorizations approved by the Public Records Board for electronic records held by state agencies; and fourth, staff worked with state agencies to provide support and to gain a better understanding of electronic systems development, implementation and maintenance. Internal Data Administration One of the first-year goals of the Electronic Records Program was to "establish a minimum level of management for data in the State Archives' possession." This included not only the data transferred from state agencies but also data created at the State Archives. The work was divided into two parts: media and content preservation and internal policies and procedures. Media and Content Preservation The State Archives has reappraised and improved access to data transferred from other agencies. Program staff identified 58 nine track magnetic tapes in its possession. The tapes were acquired between 1983 and 1985 in a grant-funded electronic records program and consisted of eleven record series (see Appendix 1 for more information). Program staff reappraised the series based on the following criteria:  Existence of technical and contextual documentation,  Completeness of the data,  Ability to retrieve missing data,  Duplication of data in other sources, and  Archival and research value of the data. Program staff retained only one of the eleven series. This series, the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women, was retained because it was complete and had adequate documentation. Program staff also decided to attempt data recovery of a tape from the Department of Public Instruction in order to learn more about the data recovery process. The Department of Public Instruction and Governor's Commission series represented a total of three tapes. Program staff took the tapes to the Department of Health and Social Services where staff read the tapes free of charge. The files were converted from EBCDIC to ASCII and transferred to the State Historical Society's local area network. Staff found no data loss in the series from the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women and some data loss in the series from the Department of Public Instruction. Policies and Procedures Program staff completed draft policies and procedures to manage data created by or submitted to the Archives. This includes:  Draft guidelines for the transmittal of electronic records from state agencies (see Appendix 3),  Procedures for taking custody of electronic records (see Appendix 4), and  Guidelines for the creation of electronic finding aids. The State Archives has also:  Begun formulating policies on acceptable Internet use,  Developed a procedure for the storage of electronic monthly reports, and  Prepared a draft document listing the duties of an Archives Division data custodian. Review of State Agency Records Disposition Authorizations Program staff identified all Records Disposition Authorizations (RDAs) that scheduled electronic records for permanent retention at the creating agency or for the State Archives. Once the RDAs were identified, program staff contacted state agencies to determine if the electronic records still existed and were in an accessible form. The review of these retention schedules revealed some startling problems with the scheduling process. Staff identified 22 records series scheduled for permanent retention at the State Archives or within the state agency; thirteen of the series no longer exist in their entirety (see Appendix 2). Working with state agencies During the first year of the Electronic Records Program, several agencies requested information and support with electronic records issues. The following is a summary of work done in each agency Department of Health and Social Services, Client Assistance for Reemployment and Economic Support System (CARES) Program staff met with staff from the Division of Community Services, the Bureau of Information Systems, and the Bureau of Administration Records and Forms Management to discuss data retention for the CARES database system. This system manages many statewide welfare benefits. The system was looked at for two reasons: CARES was scheduled to have all data sets classified for the new System Managed Storage system at the Department of Administration, Information Technology Services mainframe necessitating identification of the data sets that needed long term storage; and Community Services staff realized that the CARES data was growing at an enormous rate and some form of data management needed to be implemented in order to delete records from the system. Program staff have met several times to discuss the problems and aid in determining retention requirements. This project is ongoing. Department of Health and Social Services, Department Secretary Correspondence Tracking System Program staff identified this database as a possible index to administrative subject files scheduled for transfer to the State Archives. Department of Health and Social Services provided program staff with a sample of the database and system documentation. The data from the tracking system was appraised and determined to have little value as an index to the existing paper subject files. However, this gave program staff the opportunity to test procedures for obtaining data and documentation that will be required from state agencies. State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation, Architectural History Inventory Program staff met with Historic Preservation staff to determine the historical value of the contents of the database and to assist in establishing a Records Disposition Authorization. The system was ultimately scheduled for permanent retention. Electronic Records Program staff will monit or this system to ensure that the database is maintained to provide continued access and readability. Department of Corrections, Central Office Inmate Social Service Case Records Imaging System The Department of Corrections has implemented an optical imaging system to digitize inmate-related documents and place them on optical disk. Program staff met with Department of Corrections records management staff to discuss several scenarios for the transfer of inmate case file records in either paper or electronic form. Unfortunately, the paper records will no longer be accessible and the State Archives does not have the technological or financial resources to obtain, preserve and provide access to these electronic records. A final resolution of this issue is pending. Service and Outreach The State Archives firmly believes that, in order to preserve historical electronic records, state agencies must properly manage all electronic records in their custody. In order to accomplish this, state agency staff require education and support in the development and management of electronic systems that comply with federal, state, and local record keeping requirements. Unfortunately, the state currently lacks a coherent records management program. In fulfilling its mandate to "assist state agencies in planning archival management of their electronic records," program staff provided a considerable amount of education and support on all aspects of electronic records management. In the first year, staff:  Provided consultation on developing records disposition authorizations for electronic systems,  Participated in state automation planning meetings,  Provided program information and updates to the Public Records Board and the Records and Forms Council,  Taught a class on developing records schedules for electronic systems, and  Presented papers at a regional archives conference on electronic records issues. This work has resulted in a higher visibility of the State Archives in the area of electronic records management and an increased understanding of the problems associated with preserving state and local government electronic records. Electronic Records Program Advisory Group The Electronic Records Program cannot meet its statutory mandates without input and support from a variety of interest groups. In order to expand upon program staff work, the State Archives has established an advisory group of representatives from a variety of technological,record keeping, and policy areas. The technological area is represented by several data administrators, information technology directors, and members of the Department of Administration's Division of Information Technology Services and Bureau of Technology Management staff. The record keeping area is represented by several agency records officers,legal and audit specialists, agency administrative officers and a representative from the Public Records Board. Other special interests on the group include a University of Wisconsin-Madison Social Science data librarian and UW-Archives representative. This group held its first meeting on May 10, 1995 and discussed a variety of issues. It was clear that each area has differing perspectives on the challenges that electronic records bring to stateagencies. The group agreed that there is a general lack of understanding of how public records are managed within the state and of sound records management procedures. They agreed to draft a series of white papers to clarify the issues and educate state employees. Program staff have started to draft these documents and will be seeking input from the group. The full advisory group will meet again in October, 1995 to review the issue papers, discuss ways to disseminate the information, and determine the future direction of the Electronic Records Program. For a list of issues presented at the first meeting, see Appendix 5. III. Issues Affecting the Management and Preservation of State Electronic Information and Records Program staff gained considerable knowledge while meeting the first year goals. Working with state agencies in the areas of data management and administration, as well as providing educational support, has helped program staff identify several areas that present challenges for ensuring that the state's electronic information and records are identified, preserved, and made accessible. These areas can be viewed within the framework of Policies and Procedures,Information Management, and Technology. Policies and Procedures The state lacks a coherent, centralized information management policy. The state is moving to establish an enterprise approach to managing information technology. To accomplish the goal of "providing better government service at reduced cost" state agencies must also develop, implement, and manage electronic systems appropriately. A state information management policy is crucial to ensure that state agencies have clear guidance on how the state's information and records assets are to be managed, preserved, and made accessible. This policy must also include functional requirements for developing, managing, and preserving electronic information and records. There continues to be confusion regarding the status of electronic data as public records Is the content of an automated system a public record and therefore subject to state laws, rules,and legal precedent? Program staff noted varying points of view on this issue ranging from "no electronic records are public records" to "all electronic records are public records." Unfortunately, the answer to this question is somewhere in between and frequently dependent on the knowledge and experience of the state agency that creates and manages the automated system. There currently are no clear policies, rules, or guidelines to help agencies determine the public record status of data in electronic systems. Furthermore, agencies lack a central information resource that can provide guidance and tools to manage electronic data in accordance with state and federal record keeping requirements. Information Management The programs established to help manage public records have failed to prevent the loss of important electronic information and records State agency heads, program managers, legal counsels, records and forms officers, information technology professionals, the Public Records Board, and the State Archives all play important roles in ensuring that public information and records are properly managed and preserved. A failure of any part of this shared responsibility places important records in jeopardy. The methods used today to ensure the proper management and preservation of public information and records are seriously flawed and need to be reevaluated. In the first year of the program, staff found that:  Agencies have failed to assign responsibility for long term management of electronic information,  59% of agency automated systems scheduled for permanent retention in the agency or State Archives no longer exist in their entirety (See Appendix 2.),  Agency staff lack the training to properly manage electronic records that have long term administrative value, and  Agencies have not maintained electronic records according to state record keeping requirements. Technology Preserving Electronic Information and Records Requires the Preservation of the Medium,Technology, and Intellectual Content State agencies have a greater risk of loss when valuable records are kept in electronic form. Preserving electronic records requires the preservation of the medium, technology, and intellectual content. Medium preservation refers to issues of proper storage of the media on which electronic records are stored. Technology preservation refers to the issue of technological obsolescence. Preservation of intellectual content refers to ensuring that the electronic record is authentic, reliable, and understandable over time. Imaging Does Not Ensure the Preservation of the State's Important Records Wisconsin faces significant challenges to managing electronic information and records in document imaging systems. It is a growing technology that lacks standards and is dependent on proprietary software. However, in specific situations, imaging technology does significantly reduce the costs of retrieval and storage of public information and records. The state currently has laws and administrative rules governing the development and implementation of imaging systems by state agencies. However, the program's experience with one agency's imaging system pointed out several problems. First, the State Archives will no longer be able to take custody of the paper records because the records will no longer be maintained in an accessible form. Second, the imaging system does not have the capability to export the images and index to a standard format; and third, the State Archives does not have the resources to take custody of and provide access to public records on proprietary or specialized technology. The State Lacks a Clear Policy Regarding the Public Record Status of Electronic Mail Communications Created in the Course of State Business Wisconsin lacks any clear legal opinion, precedent or law that resolves the confusion of whether an e-mail communication is a public record. This area must be clarified so that a management solution can be identified and implemented. Currently, the state is moving in the direction of improving interagency e-mail capabilities and towards a single e-mail standard. This standard is being developed without consideration of the state's needs for managing e-mail in compliance with state record keeping laws. IV. Work plan for 1995/1996 Service/Outreach  Aid state agencies in the management of electronic records,  Aid state agencies in scheduling electronic record series,  Prepare a minimum of five issue papers on electronic records issues and distribute them widely,  Meet with the Electronic Records Program Advisory Group quarterly and with special committees on a regular basis,  Follow up on Advisory Group recommendations, and  Publicize electronic records holdings. Data Administration Internal 1. Work to expand Archives staff knowledge of information technology systems which are being created by the state and 2. Develop a system and guidelines for managing electronic information in the State Archives' possession, including: completion of accession and preservation guidelines development of procedures to access historical electronic records External 1. Work with the Department of Administration on statewide information management policy issues, 2. Begin documenting standard data administration practices in state agencies, and 3. Work with the Advisory Group to develop a draft electronic information management plan. Appendix 1 Series Reappraised by the Electronic Records Program Staff One goal of the first year was to "establish a minimum level of management for data in the State Archives' possession." Program staff identified eleven records series on 58 reels of nine track magnetic tape. These tapes were transferred to the State Archives between 1983 and 1985. Each series was reappraised and some of the data migrated to new media. The following table lists the records series name and dates, dates that the records series existed, the number of tapes, whether the series was still being maintained by the state agency, whether the series was retained by the State Archives, and whether technical documentation existed for the data stored in the State Archives. Series and Dates of No. of Series Retained Technical dates held series tapes exists at by Society Documentation by SHSW existence agency as as of of 6/1/95 6/1/95 __________ _________ ______ _________ __________ _____________ GOVERNOR'S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN Survey 1977-79 1 No Yes Yes data,1977- 1979 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION Ethnic data 1974- 1 No No Yes master file ongoing 1974-75 Non-public 1965- No No Yes schools ongoing enrollment 1974-75 Public 1962- No No Yes schools ongoing enrollment 1974-75 Needs 1974?- 1 No No Yes assessment ongoing survey 1978-79 Teacher and 1963- No No Yes employment ongoing master file 1970-71 DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE Individual 1 No No No income tax sample, 1963- 66 Fielded 1974- 3 No No No sales ongoing analysis system (FSAS) master file, 1975-77 Sales 1969- 3 No No No analysis ongoing system (SAS) master file, 1977-78 State 1974- 9 No No No assessment of ongoing manufacturing proper master files (SAM) 1975-77 Tax model 33 No No No elements, 1974 TAPES OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN L dentistry n/a 1 n/a No No files Scratch n/a 3 n/a No No tapes Tax backup n/a 2 n/a No No Appendix 2 Series Scheduled to Be Retained Permanently in the Creating Agency or the State Archives Program staff identified all Records Disposition Authorizations RDAs) that scheduled electronic records for permanent retention at the creating agency or at the State Archives. Once the RDAs were identified, program staff contacted the agencies to determine if the electronic records still existed and were in an accessible form. The following table lists the agency and series name, if the complete records series exists as of June 1, 1995, the retention period on the RDA, and the scheduled disposition. Series scheduled Complete series Retention Scheduled exists at period disposition agency as of 6/1/95 _______________________ _______________ ____________ ____________ DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS Psychological test No 25 years Transfer to answer data, 1976- SHSW DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES Child abuse and *Yes 10 years Transfer to neglect data, 1977- SHSW Transitional *Yes 10 years Transfer to information system SHSW data, 1974-87 HOSPITAL RATE SETTING COMMISSION Accounts receivable No 4 years Transfer to surveys, 1986-87 SHSW Annual hospital No 4 years Transfer to submissions form data, SHSW 1987 Peer group data, 1987 No 4 years Transfer to SHSW Rate requests and No 4 years Transfer to approvals summary data SHSW from rate orders, 1987 DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, LABOR AND HUMAN RELATIONS Comprehensive No 3 years Transfer to Employment Traingin Act SHSW participant applicant files, 1974- Targeted jobs tax Yes Program Transfer to credit online computer SHSW file, 1979- DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Facility Yes n/a Permanent identification master file (FID), 1975- Public water system Yes n/a Permanent data, 1974 Water regulatory Yes n/a Permanent permit tracking, 1974- Well construction Yes n/a Permanent reports, 1936- DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION District/school name No 1 year Transfer to and address file, 1967- SHSW Ethnic data master No 1 year Transfer to file, 1974- SHSW Needs assessment No 1 year Transfer to survey, 1973- SHSW Non-public school No 1 year Transfer to enrollment file, 1965- SHSW Public school No 1 year Transfer to enrollment file, 1962- SHSW DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE Fielded sales analysis No 4 years Transfer to system master file, 1975- SHSW Sales analysis system No 4 years Transfer to master file (SAS), 1969 SHSW State assessment of No 1 year Transfer to of manufacturing propery SHSW master file (SAM), 1974- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Wisconsin bridge *Yes 70 years Transfer to system database, 1970- SHSW *program staff have not verified if data is reliable Appendix 3 Program staff developed a draft transmittal form for state agencies to submit electronic records to the State Archives. This draft form will be tested and modified throughout the second year of the program. Questions or comments about this form are welcome. Electronic Records Transmittal Form RDA No.______ SHSW Use Only Accession No. ______ Date received ______ If you have any questions regarding completing the form, feel free to contact electronic records archivists at the State Archives (264-6451 or 264-6447). The following information is required of all electronic records submitted. If the appropriate documentation does not accompany the records, they will be returned or deleted. o Original format of the files (SQL, ASCII text, ANSI, etc.) _____________________________ o Present format of files (SQL, ASCII text, ANSI, etc.) ________________________________ o Number of files ______ Number of logical records (if applicable) ______ o Size of files in mbytes __________ o File directory printout (attach to transmittal form) o Summary of the functions of the records (attach to transmittal form) o Attach RDA to transmittal form Contact an electronic records archivist regarding the necessity to submit the following information: -Any forms (electronic or paper) used in gathering information for the electronic records -Any outputs (electronic or paper) used in the system Information on directory structures and other relationships between files (i.e. links to relational databases, associated files, merge files, etc.) -Other metadata such as data dictionaries and system development documents Media An electronic records archivist should be contacted to discuss the medium upon which the record is transferred. The State Archives is not able to accept the following formats:  DAT  proprietary optical systems  obsolete formats (e.g. 8" floppy) Appendix 4 Electronic records sent to the State Archives will be reviewed through a formal accession process that ensures access and retrievability. The following draft accession guidelines are designed to handle accessions for simple types of electronic records (e.g. database, spreadsheet, or document files). Electronic Records Accession Guidelines Check boxes after completed o Physical validation This involves checking the formats and structures of files to validate that it matches documentation. TEXT FILES Number of files received _____ Size (Mbytes) _____ File relationships (e.g. merge files)_____ DATABASE, SPREADSHEETS AND SIMILAR FILES Number of files received _____ Number of fields match documentation _____ Field types match documentation _____ Number of logical records match documentation _____ o Informational validation This involves determining if the information within the files matches the records schedule and documentation. This is particularly important for databases. Some of the validation process may require special programming to examine databases for a range of values. This will be decided at accessioning. _____ Values in a database field are within an acceptable range (if no, attach sheet indicating which fields in the table have values outside of the range) _____ Verify through sampling fields which do not have a definable range of values o Reappraisal If it is found that the electronic records do not match the documentation or records schedule then the Archives will take the following steps:  Contact the agency to retrieve an accurate data set,  Reappraise the value of the series based on its degree of inaccuracy and traditional archival values,  If the reappraisal indicates destruction, notify the agency of the pending destruction,  Do not destroy any series until an attempt has been made to receive an accurate data set. o Create or modify RLIN record as necessary o Enter accession in accession log and electronic records maintenance log o Copy files to designated storage location o Create preliminary register  Title page -Heading -Agency, Division, Subdivision name -Series title -Accession number  Access restrictions  Accessioning Archivist  Abstract -General information about origin and functions of series -Informational content -Information on relationship of series to other series or internal file relationships  Technical information -attach documentation received from agency Appendix 5 Electronic Records Program and Advisory Group Planning Issues Issues The following is a list of suggested issues that the program should address in the next 12-18 months. Collection Management The State Historical Society currently has the resources to take custody of a small amount of simple electronic records. Is this sufficient to meet our mandate? What resources will be required to preserve and make accessible public electronic records of historical value? Should program staff identify the alternatives for long term preservation and let the Advisory Group identify the best alternatives? Electronic Mail Is E-mail a public record? Should the program take the lead and propose a working group to define public record status, suggest statutory changes (if needed), develop an administrative rule that defines record keeping requirements, and submit it to the Public Records Board and the Department of Administration for official approval? Record keeping Is there a clear understanding of the definition of Public Record and its application to electronic records? Is there a need to clarify record keeping requirements? If so, should the advisory group or program staff develop and approve a document that attempts to clarify record keeping requirements? Preservation What role should the State Archives play in setting standards for preservation of electronic records? The mandate of the program states that the State Historical Society will develop guidelines for preserving public records of historical value. Should the program identify existing standards,procedures, and policies that apply to preservation of electronic public records, propose changes, and submit them to the Public Records Board and the Department of Administration for official approval? Longer Term Issues (18-24 months) Should the State Archives have a role in the development of a Statewide Government Information Locator Service?