Proposed Rules for Preservation of Electronic Public Records

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Proposed Rules for Preservation of Electronic
Public Records
Digital Archives Eastern Washington
University Cheney, Washington
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Archival Records

• The mission of the Washington State Archives is
  to preserve and protect archival records
• To centralize
• To make widely available
• To ensure permanent preservation

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Gone forever

• There are electronic records that are now
  extinct and gone forever
• Governor Gardners administrative files (Wang
  system, erased)
• Governor Spellmans reports and letters (Mag
  Cards, unreadable)

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On the endangered list

• How many floppy disks, CDs, tapes, DVDs, or
  other soon-to-be obsolete media contain records
  of enduring value that are not well preserved and
  in danger of being unreadable and inaccessible?

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What does archiving mean for electronic records?
To protect and preserve machine-readable records
of enduring legal, historical or fiscal value
from loss, alteration, deterioration and
technological obsolescence in an environment
independent from that which produced the record
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Why a Digital Archives?

• To comply with statutory and regulatory mandates
• The law requires preservation of certain public
  records, (regardless of their format) that have
  enduring historical, legal or fiscal value
• Using platform-neutral formats to prevent loss,
  and for access retrieval 50 to 100 years from
  now
• As technology changes, the older media, formats
  and platforms become obsolete
• To improve public access to these records
• By centralizing these electronic records in one
  location and making them available online, the
  Archives can provide access more quickly and
  easily - one-stop shopping

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WAC 434-662

• Pursuant to the provisions of chapters 40.14,
  and 42.56, and 43.105.250 RCW, the rules
  contained in this chapter are intended to ensure
  that electronic public records are securely
  preserved for present and future access and/or
  are transferred to the Washington state digital
  archives for permanent retention so that valuable
  historical records of the state may be
  centralized, made more widely available, and
  insure permanent preservation

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Using what you have

• Can use your existing resources
• Do not need to purchase additional technology to
  manage your electronic records
• Policies and procedures, education and training
  are key to preserving electronic public records

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How to keep

• Identify key records series
• Create classification and file structures
• Develop naming conventions (controlled
  vocabularies)
• Determine best storage method for your agency
  needs
• Educate and train users, use desk guides and
  cheat sheets

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Process to transfer to Digital Archives

• The WAC gives guidance on the process
• Transmittal agreements between agencies and the
  Digital Archives formalize the arrangements for
  transferring records on an individual basis for
  each agency
• Digital Archives staff are available to assist
  with training

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Costs

• Costs associated with keeping electronic records
  are already being imposed on agencies due to
  public disclosure and e-discovery
• (Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Dec 1, 2006)
• The costs increase as long-term electronic
  information has to be migrated or recopied over
  time technology happens to keep up with
  demands for accessibility and storage

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Reducing Costs

• The WAC actively seeks to reduce the existing
  cost burden on state and local
• agencies.
• Digital Archives will maintain and preserve
  archival electronic records for agencies and
  provide mechanisms to transfer archival records
  to the Washington State Archives.

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Where to From Here?

• Drafting responses to comments, suggestions and
  questions received
• Editing language in the proposed rules
• Developing a cost benefit analysis
• Compiling working group to advise on
  implementation

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Who to Contact?

• Records Management
• Russell Wood, State Records Manager
• 360-586-4900
• rwood_at_secstate.wa.gov

Process/Status of Digital WAC Megan
Moreno, Legislative Liaison 360-902-4141
mmoreno_at_secstate.wa.gov
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Thank you!
Washington State Archives Partners in
preservation and access www.secstate.wa.gov/archiv
es