Required reading for rim professionals--novices and supervisors.This work is a welcome response to a long-standing need: an up-to-date, book-length introduction to records and information management (RIM). In addition to its currency, content, and scope, this work's value is enhanced by its being written by William Saffady, arguably ar·gu·a·ble adj. 1. Open to argument: an arguable question, still unresolved. 2. That can be argued plausibly; defensible in argument: three arguable points of law. the field's most articulate and readable read·a·ble adj. 1. Easily read; legible: a readable typeface. 2. Pleasurable or interesting to read: a readable story. writer. There are other RIM books, of course, but they suffer from one or more limitations, such as having too much emphasis on clerical-level tasks, covering topics of debatable de·bat·a·ble adj. 1. Being such that formal argument or discussion is possible. 2. Open to dispute; questionable. 3. In dispute, as land or territory claimed by more than one country. value, being out-of-date in coverage of relevant information technologies, and being unapproachable in length. Records and Information Management: Fundamentals of Professional Practice has no such drawbacks, and it represents the best available option for an introduction to RIM. An important aspect of this work is its scope. In other books, areas or disciplines sometimes allied with RIM are taken up (e.g., mail management, reprography re·prog·ra·phy n. The process of reproducing, reprinting, or copying graphic material especially by mechanical, photographic, or electronic means. [repro(duction) + -graphy. , reports, and forms). Because this is a RIM fundamentals book, these disciplines are not addressed. Rather, the focus is on the heart of RIM functions: records inventory, appraisal for retention scheduling, vital records, records centers, filing systems, and records technologies. This approach makes this book more accessible for students, archivists, corporate librarians, and information systems specialists--in addition to those relatively new to the RIM field. This book should be of considerable value to those studying for the Certified See certification. Records Manager (CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. ) examination. The book's structure supports its readability read·a·ble adj. 1. Easily read; legible: a readable typeface. 2. Pleasurable or interesting to read: a readable story. . Following a valuable context-setting introductory chapter--one which might be useful "required reading" for those to whom records professionals report--there are eight chapters. For readability's sake, major topics are divided into two chapters. This is the case, for example, with the topic of preparing retention schedules, which is divided into a chapter on inventorying records and one on making retention decisions. Inactive records is also handled in two chapters, one on records centers and one on micrographics The production, handling and use of microfilm and microfiche. Images are created by cameras or by COM units that accept computer output directly. The documents are magnified for human viewing by readers, some of which can automatically locate a page using indexing techniques. , an area of the author's strength and a technology which is all too often underrepresented un·der·rep·re·sent·ed adj. Insufficiently or inadequately represented: the underrepresented minority groups, ignored by the government. in the literature. Active records coverage is divided into chapters on hardcopy filing and electronic records management. Treatment of topics is specific, and, where possible, best-practice examples are provided; many of these are based on the author's research in Records and Information Management: A Benchmarking Study of Large U.S. Industrial Companies, also published by ARMA International. One could wish for more: more pictures and charts, more resources (print and Web) to follow up, more sample forms, more on technology. This book, however, focuses on true fundamentals, and many of the topics and features not included are covered by other, more subject-specific works; a bibliographic essay by Saffady points to many of the best related works. Future editions would be well-served by using higher-quality paper to avoid a "read-through" problem. To be of maximum value as a textbook, it should include elements an instructor would appreciate: teaching support resources, such as Power Point slides to accompany each chapter, suggested questions for tests, and a Web page to provide updates between editions. Reading one book does not a RIM professional make, but Records and Information Management: Fundamentals of Professional Practice is definitely the first book to read. TITLE: Records and Information Management: Fundamentals of Professional Practice AUTHOR: William Saffady ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m : 0-931786-17-8 PUBLISHER: ARMA International PUBLICATION DATE: 2004 LENGTH: 228 pages PRICE: $50; $35 for ARMA members SOURCE: www.arma.org/bookstore 888.241.0598 J. Michael Pemberton, Ph.D., CRM, FAI , is executive editor of The Information Management Journal, a consultant, and a professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (UT), sometimes called the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UT Knoxville or UTK), is the flagship institution of the statewide land-grant University of Tennessee public university system in the American state of Tennessee. . He can be contacted at imainc@mindspring.com. |
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