This course introduces students to principles, conceptual issues, and practical problems of managing organizational records, both paper-based and electronic. It reviews the legal, administrative, and technical environments that affect the creation, management and use of records. It discusses standards and policies that relate to organizational records and examines functional requirements for record keeping. It also identifies organizational and human factors that affect the creation and use of records. Finally, the course acquaints students with the strategies for ensuring that electronic records are captured, preserved and usable over time.

RATIONALE:   There is increased recognition today that Information is a resource regardless of the physical form in which it occurs.  Librarians are increasingly being called upon to manage materials (both paper based and electronic) contained in educational institutions and corporate information centres not found in the traditional library. Similar issues have emerged in the use & preservation of library & archival materials as society is being transformed by the rise of digital technologies. As a result, there is a growing convergence between librarianship and records management, and librarians, especially those in special libraries and information centres, should have some knowledge and appreciation of the principles of archives and records management.

 
At the end of this course, students should be able to:

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Have a knowledge of the basic principles of archives and records management and the similarities and differences between them and librarianship

understand  the legal, administrative and fiscal issues related to records and record-keeping and how laws, regulations, and court decisions impacted electronic

records management in Jamaica and the Caribbean

understand the social and organizational variables, e.g., corporate and national culture, business activities and functions that affect the implementation of the records management requirements

understand the systems and metadata requirements for record  keeping

be able to apply the principles of records management to the organization, maintenance and storage of records especially those produced in the electronic environment