Records and Archives Management Essays

Etiwel Mutero When records had deteriorated, it is necessary to have measures in plan to prevent further deterioration, through various conservation treatments that can be employed to retard or slow down the rate of deterioration. In this paper the author is going to discuss the conservation methods such as de-acidification, lamination, encapsulation, paper strengthening, mending and sealing which are applicable to prolong the usability of archival materials. Conservation according to Laura Millor and Cook (1999:34)  Is the intrusive protection of archival material, by the minimal physical and chemical treatments necessary to resist further deterioration, which will not adversely affect the integrity of the original. On the other hand archival materials are those records that are not necessarily current but records that are of enduring value selected for permanent storage in an archival institution or any other fitting place. The fir...

Etiwel Mutero The search strategy is one of the elements in the reference service of the library. The aims of the search strategy are to produce satisfactory, accurate and useful results. In this paper, the author is going to discuss the search strategy process from the time of the presentation of a query to the time that it is answered. The search strategy is the skill that helps the information seeker to get accurate and relevant information. The search strategy encompasses several steps and levels of work in information retrieved. Chowdlury (1999:) mentions that there are many issues that there are many issues that need to be considered while formulating them  as; the concepts or facts to be searched and their order, the terms that appropriately represent (s) the search concept, the feature(s) of the retrieval system concerned, and the measures to be taken in revising a search statement. The first step in the search strategy proce...

Etiwel Mutero Reprography is essential to records management as far as preservation of information is concerned. in this paper, the author is going to critically analyse the reasons why it is important to undertake a conservation assessment before introducing a reprography programme in an organisation. Reprography means, simply to reproduce so as to preserve the original storage media, be it a paper, electronic or microform based storage media. Methods of production or reprography includes, microfilming, photocopying, photographic reproduction and digitisation. A conservation assessment evaluates the physical state and security of all the holdings in the institution and also staff to determine the best course of action. The results of the assessment must be considered carefully and structured into a project plan. The conservation assessment s..ll to analyse general and specific collection, care needs are determined priorities established a...

Etiwel Mutero Roper and Miller (1999:1) listed the benefits of electronic as; increased access to information, flexibility in the creation and use of information, improved efficiency and effectiveness, increased economic ad business opportunities and improved capacity for audit and compliance.  It is these benefits that should make all organizations and states ensure that electronic records remain accessible.  In this paper, the author is going to discuss the responsibilities of the National Archives in the management of electronic records. The National Achieves is a government owned institution which manages government or private records of enduring value, be it, legal values, historical values or research values.  An electronic record is written on magnetic or optical medium, such as magnetic tapes, CD ROMs, DVDs, hard disks, USBs (Universal Serial Buses) and other digital storage devices, recorded in binary code, accessed u...

Etiwel Mutero Considering the benefits of electronic records to organizations such as increased access to information, flexibility in the creation and use of information, improved efficiency and effectiveness, increased economic and business opportunities, and improved capacity and compliance, it is therefore, necessary to preserve electronic records so as to preserve their authenticity.  In this paper, the author is going to evaluate the major issues that are considered in the preservation of electronic records and recommend the way forward. According to Brown et al (1999:27) electronic records are:“Any component of information created electronically that forms part of an electronic record and that is usually stored separately within the digital file making up the electronic record as a whole:.  Electronic records can also be defined as series of 1 and Os that require computer hardware and software to interpret and present.  U...

Etiwel Mutero Appraisal is important in the management of records and achieves.  Failure to have an effective appraisal strategy; will lead to accumulation of obsolete records in organisational offices and archival institutions leading to a shortage of storage space and difficulty in retrieving needed records and archives. In this paper, the author is going to discuss the pre-conditions for an effective appraisal strategy. Ropper & Miller (1999:6) defines appraisal as “The process of determining the value of records for further use, for whatever purpose, and the length of time for which that value will continue.  Also known as evaluation, review or selection. Ropper & Miller (199:6) continue to say: “First appraisal involves deciding what records need to be kept and for how long in order to allow the organisation to continue its work.  This is known as appraisal for continuity utility”.  Second appraisal involves d...