Records retention rules, digitization guidelines, and model contracts should be revised to ensure consistent access to both original and digital records in non-proprietary formats. Government needs to update a series of guidelines to firmly establish a stronger expectation of free public access to government records. Rules should explicitly mandate that the converted records remain the agency’s property and be made freely available to the public without undue delay or charge. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has promulgated guidelines that substantially meet these recommendations for its digitization projects, and these guidelines or similar ones should be applied across the executive branch.
In addition to the guidelines for legacy record conversion, agencies need to develop contracts for converting paper information to digital formats. Such model contracts should be developed with digitization partners and access partners that preclude private control of public information. These contracts should be similar to NARA’s guidelines for conversion partnerships but should provide ready templates that agencies can use to enter into partnerships not just for digitization or conversion, but also to improve access and usability. These templates should allow flexibility and innovative partnerships while maintaining good stewardship of the public’s records.
- From the 21st Century RTK Agenda
Comments (0)