The Archival Enterprise from the first word recognises professional archival work as an enterprise - a big, bold and sometimes difficult undertaking requiring energy and initiative. Canons of good practice, tightened educational guidelines, and a certification programme indicate the dynamic, adaptive, and ever-changing nature of the archival profession. Reflecting the belief that archival work is fundamentally important to society, culture, education and economic progress, this work introduces archival theory and practice, describes the elements of historical records programmes, explains archival techniques and procedures, and analyses issues and challenges facing the profession today.

Archives: Recordkeeping in Society introduces the significance of archives and the results of local and international research in archival science. It explores the role of recordkeeping in various cultural, organisational and historical contexts. Its themes include archives as a web of recorded information: new information technologies have presented dilemmas, but also potentialities for managing of the interconnectedness of archives. Another theme is the relationship between evidence and memory in archives and in archival discourse. It also explores recordkeeping and accountability, memory, societal power and juridical power, along with an examination of issues raised by globalisation and interntionalisation.The chapter authors are researchers, practitioners and educators from leading Australian and international recordkeeping organisations, each contributing previously unpublished research in and reflections on their field of expertise. They include Adrian Cunningham, Don Schauder, Hans Hofman, Chris Hurley, Livia Iacovino, Eric Ketelaar and Ann Pederson.The book reflects broad Australian and international perspectives making it relevant worldwide. It will be a particularly valuable resource for students of archives and records, researchers from realted knowledge disciplines, sociology and history, practitioners wanting to reflect further on their work, and all those with an interest in archives and their role in shaping human activity and community culture.

For most academic libraries, archives and museums, digital content management is increasingly occurring on a holistic enterprise level. As most institutions contemplate an enterprise digital content strategy for a growing number of digitized surrogates and born-digital assets, libraries, archives, and museums understand that these expanding needs can only be met by more flexible approaches offered by a multicomponent digital asset management ecosystem (DAME). Increasingly, librarians, archivists, and curators are managing an integrated digital ecosystem by coordinating and complementing a number of existing and emerging initiatives. This guide provides a high-level overview and offers a conceptual framework for understanding a digital asset management ecosystem with discussions on digital collection typologies and assessment, planning and prioritization, the importance of a community of practice through associated workflows, and an understanding of the critical role that foresight planning plays in balancing an evolving infrastructure and expanding digital content with creative cost modeling and sustainability strategies. Borrowing from the principles of data curation, integrative collection building requires an understanding of the library’s “digital ecosystem” of licensed content, digitized material, and born-digital content in order to ensure strategic growth of institutional collections in the context of long-term holistic collection management plans. Key elements discussed in this book include: the importance of digital collection assessment, analysis, and prioritization, the realignment of accession and appraisal methodologies for efficient digital content acquisition, the need to think holistically relating to tool selection and infrastructure development to ensure interoperability, scalability, and sustainability of a universe of digital assets, the creation of cross-functional workflows in accordance with policies and plans, the importance of advocating for growing resources needed for managing, descriptive, administrative, technical, rights and preservation metadata across the institution, and the significance of distributed digital preservation models with a growing array of associated options for cloud storage.

Historical records are a focus and collecting area for many historical societies, history museums and other historical agencies. Yet many historical records programs face special challenges and needs, from inadequate resource levels, physical preservation problems, under-developed documentation, appraisal and collecting policies, etc. In Managing Historical Records, Dearstyne's goal is to foster stronger, more vibrant historical records programs by introducing archival work and describing strategies, approaches, principles and practices of strong programs. Lots of examples, checklists, and appendices help in finding solutions and approaches. A must-have resource for anyone considering starting a historical records program or who already has one and wants to strengthen it.

This book identifies key factors necessary for a well-functioning information infrastructure and explores how information culture impacts the management of public information, stressing the need for a proactive and holistic information management approach amidst e-Government development. In an effort to deal with an organization's scattered information resources, Enterprise Content Management, Records Management and Information Culture Amidst E-Government Development investigates the key differences between Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Records Management (RM), the impact of e-Government development on information management and the role of information in enhancing accountability and transparency of government institutions. The book hence identifies factors that contribute to a well-functioning information infrastructure and further explores how information culture impacts the management of public information. It highlights the Records Continuum Model (RCM) thinking as a more progressive way of managing digital information in an era of pluralization of government information. It also emphasizes the need for information/records management skills amidst e-Government development. Ideas about records, information, and content management have fundamentally changed and developed because of increasing digitalization. Though not fully harmonized, these new ideas commonly stress and underpin the need for a proactive and holistic information management approach. The proactive approach entails planning for the management of the entire information continuum before the information is created. For private enterprises and government institutions endeavoring to meet new information demands from customers, citizens and the society at large, such an approach is a prerequisite for accomplishing their missions. It could be argued that information is and has always been essential to all human activities and we are witnessing a transformation of the information landscape. - Presents research with broad application based on archives and information science, but relevant for information systems, records management, information culture, and e-government - Examines the differences between Enterprise Content Management and Records Management - Bridges a gap between the proponents of Enterprise Content Management and information professionals, such as records managers and archivists

Leading the Historical Enterprise: Strategic Creativity, Planning, and Advocacy for the Digital Age presents new ideas and strategies for leading and innovating in museums, historical societies, historic sites, and other state and local history programs. The book blends insights from the best practices of model historical programs and museums with themes from the best recent studies of leadership. This is a practical book with concrete suggestions that can be applied in just about any program setting. It covers: Demographics, technology, resource constraints, and other forces that are affecting the work of historical programs and museums Developing mission and goals to keep programs responsive to changing needs, challenges, and opportunities Effective strategies for leading and innovating to keep programs vibrant Engaging users and audiences for our programs in new ways Putting information technology to work and engaging users in new ways Day-to-day leadership of historical programs and museums The book will be of interest to trustees, directors and staff of museums, historic sites, historical societies, and other state and local history programs; policy makers, e.g, legislative staff with responsibility for policy or budgets of cultural programs; professors and students of public history; libraries; and other people interested in state and local history and in innovation in cultural programs.