Archives and libraries are used to having their collections viewed by the public, especially since the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act came into force in 2005.
The FOI Act gives any individual the right to request to see information held by public authorities as soon as it has been created, providing there are no exemptions. Due to the sheer volume of stored items that must be available for public access at any given time, emphasis on optimisation, retrieval and rotation is incredibly important. Records management as a result is a highly responsible role, directly affecting the way archival repositories function.
The proactive nature of archival records management is very relevant with the selection of public records taking place in two stages:
Stage one is implemented when records pass out of active use and usually takes place five years after a record has been created. This is also the point when records that are deemed worthless are destroyed, a very necessary step in collection management housekeeping. Those records which have been identified as valuable for future administrative requirements or future research are kept for further review at a later date.
Stage two, the second review, takes place when a record is fifteen to twenty-five years old as the passing of time provides perspective as to whether records are worthy of permanent preservation. Despite its focus on public access the FOI Act has not directly altered the way in which records are selected for permanent preservation or for alternative disposal and most records are transferred to The National Archives or other Places of Deposit after the second review process.
Retrieval and Rotation is based around usage data, with the most popular items placed in active storage so that they may be easily accessed as and when required. The least popular items are contained in deep storage since the need to access them is uncommon. Nevertheless, trends are subject to change, meaning that usage data is always live and as a result storage status may change accordingly.
Optimising storage for a retrieval and rotation basis in this sense focuses around using the most people and process efficient storage systems available.
For more information about retrieval and rotation contact us.
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