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Iowa Historical Records Advisory Board Strategic Plan
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The Iowa Historical Records Advisory Board (IHRAB) plans and coordinates activities to promote sound records programs in public and private repositories statewide. It encourages cooperative planning efforts and approves grants to local agencies and organizations. IHRAB has identified nine key issues, presented below, that face a wide variety of organizations throughout Iowa as they manage current records and archival collections: local historical societies, museums, and libraries, as well as state and local government agencies. IHRAB hopes to encourage dialogue about common solutions to common problems by emphasizing collaboration and cooperation. This Strategic Plan was originally adopted by IHRAB in July 1996. Under each issue below is a description of the "Action Steps" that were part of the original plan along with notes on what has been accomplished for each step as of July 1998. For additional information about IHRAB or its programs, contact Gordon Hendrickson, State Archivist and IHRAB Coordinator, State Historical Society of Iowa, 600 East Locust, Des Moines, IA 50319. Telephone: 515/281-8875. Record Keeping Issues Facing Historical Societies, Museums, Public Libraries, and Other Cultural Agencies Issue: New media, as well as traditional paper formats, present special challenges for long-term access to and preservation of historical records. Deteriorating paper has long been a concern in historical records repositories. Now they are receiving documentation on computer diskettes, videotape, audiotape, and other electronic media, each with their own requirements for storage, access, and preservation. Repositories are confronted with a myriad of new media, which compete for their already strained financial, and personnel resources. What must be done Educational offerings must be made available to repository personnel so they can assess the threat to the materials in the repository, determine the alternatives available to them, and prioritize the needs of the collection. Additional resources need to be made available through grants programs, technical assistance programs, and development of "networks" which allow staff to call on colleagues throughout the state for advice and counsel regarding specific preservation challenges.
Issue: Many people working with historical records need additional professional training. Many local historical societies have only one or two professionally trained staff members; most rely heavily on volunteers who learn as they work. Public libraries often acquire substantial local history collections, but their professional staff members probably received little if any direct instruction in archival methods during their library school education. Museums often acquire archives and manuscripts along with their artifact collections, but are not familiar with methods for processing or preserving archival records. All of these individuals would benefit from workshops and other training opportunities, but have limited time and financial resources to pursue them. What must be done Additional regional workshops targeted to introduce new practitioners to basic methods and techniques for the proper management and preservation of historical records need to be developed. These workshops may be sponsored by the Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium (ICPC), the Regents Universities, the State Historical Society of Iowa, and IHRAB, or individual records repositories. Utilization of the Iowa Communication Network (ICN) makes it possible to reach every part of the state with these workshops and training sessions at a reasonable cost. Repositories should be encouraged to use Historical Resources Development Program grants for support of workshop and training opportunities in Iowa.
Issue: Cooperative ventures could improve the care and accessibility of historical records throughout the state. The IHRAB has reviewed many planning documents developed by Iowa organizations and government agencies in developing this issues statement. In doing so, many common concerns emerge. Organizations such as the Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium, the Iowa State Library, the State Records Commission, the State Historical Society of Iowa, the Iowa State Association of Counties (especially the Recorders Affiliate), and the Record Management Subcommittee of the Iowa Judicial Council all seek to identify permanent records, preserve them, and make them available to the public. These organizations independently are working to enhance records programs in the state. They have the potential to accomplish much more through cooperation than through independent action. What must be done IHRAB can develop a system to collect and disseminate standards, guidelines, and technical leaflets so that local repositories have a central source for the latest information and best practices for the care of their collections. It might also be possible to develop a mentoring program in which experienced practitioners could be on-call to assist smaller repositories (or those with less experience), evaluate their needs, and locate resources. The IHRAB is planning to compile a directory of historical records repositories in the state which will make it easier for them to communicate with each other. Use of on-line technology may make the dissemination of standards and other information much easier and more timely. An on-line directory of repositories and/or mentors might make access to information easier for repositories who have identified a particular need.
Issue: Public awareness about the importance of history and historical materials should be raised. The Iowa Sesquicentennial raised public awareness about the importance of preserving archival collections and using historical documents in schools and public life. What must be done The IHRAB needs to work with local historical organizations which received collections identified through the sesquicentennial celebration. They may need additional training on the care, preservation, and access for these collections. The importance of the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program and its sub-unit, the Historical Resources Development Program (HRDP), needs to be emphasized among local organizations so that funding for this program continues.
Record Keeping Issues Facing State and Local Government Records Programs Issue: Electronic information systems are making radical changes in the ways records are created, maintained, and used. Electronic technology has reached into every aspect of our lives, and record keeping is no exception. Many of the operations of governments and corporations are now conducted electronically. Many organizations provide electronic mail to conduct business. An increasing number are replacing paper purchase orders with systems that use electronic data interchange. Even that most fundamental government record, on which every citizen depends, the birth certificate, is being converted from paper to electronic form. Many government agencies utilize data compiled by other agencies to develop, support, and/or become part of massive electronic data sets maintained in different databases and used in multiple settings. What must be done Designers of electronic systems must incorporate safeguards that will ensure the creation of records that are comprehensive, authentic, and tamper-proof. They must also use standards that will provide the means to migrate information with long-term value onto new platforms so that today’s records are readable on tomorrow’s technology. Creators and custodians of electronic records systems must recognize that the data sets they develop serve the same purpose as records created in traditional paper formats.
Issue: Archives and records management programs in Iowa’s state government are fragmented and, therefore, less effective and efficient than they should be. Currently, the Department of General Services administers records management while the State Archives is within the historical division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. It is important that records management and archives personnel work closely to promote proper handling of documentation throughout its active life and to ensure that records having long-term value are preserved. Most other states have found this cooperation is easiest to achieve when records management is assigned to the state archives so that a single agency can develop a cohesive program to oversee record keeping from creation to disposition. What must be done
Issue: Greater coordination is needed among the state government officials who have information- and records-related responsibilities. Despite a wide range of common interests and overlapping responsibilities, there is little formal interaction among the many state agencies that are responsible for government information and records, including the Chief Information Officer, the Information Services Division of the Department of General Services, the State Library, the State Archives, and the State Records Management office. What must be done Review and revise the statutory and administrative codes for the State Records Commission, the State Archives, and other information-related agencies. Consider adding the Chief Information Officer to the State Records Commission. Clarify the responsibility of agency records officers for electronic records as well as paper records. Include the State Archives and the State Records Management office on appropriate technology issues task forces.
Issue: Local government officials with substantial record keeping responsibilities need guidance and training to fulfill their duties effectively. County recorders and clerks, as well as municipal clerks, often take office with little background or training in their important record keeping responsibilities. Daily, they must make decisions about how records are used, stored, and preserved which broadly affects the rights of citizens and organizations in regard to property ownership, citizenship (vital records, voting registration), financial obligations, and more. New technologies such as optical imaging present special challenges as officials with little experience to guide their decisions must choose among competing vendors. What must be done Targeted training opportunities and technical leaflets could provide officials with introductions to the issues and criteria to choose among various technological and managerial solutions. It is essential that there be a systematic method for identifying nationally accepted standards and guidelines and distributing information to local government agencies. Archivists and records managers should work with state and national organizations representing local officials to develop these materials and determine how best to distribute them.
Issue: The State of Iowa should encourage and support the development of a Government Information Locator Service (GILS). A GILS provides citizens with a means to locate information in government agencies using standardized methods of description and indexing. As of January 1996, all federal agencies have had the capability to provide basic access to their diverse information resources -- paper and electronic records, publications, data files, and more -- through a federal GILS. An increasing number of states are following suit, with the ultimate goal of full, integrated access to government information across jurisdictional lines What must be done The State Library of Iowa included a government information locator in its long-range plan. Since then, the State Library has made considerable progress in developing the Iowa Locator and the State of Iowa Libraries On-Line (SILO) project. These efforts have yet to develop into a full-blown GILS for Iowa, however. Participation in the development of a GILS for the State of Iowa should include State Archives and Records Management personnel so that the locator will point to paper and electronic records (historical and current) as well as to published information.
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