Recordkeeping Cultures

Abstract

Recordkeeping Cultures explores how an understanding of organisational information culture provides the insight necessary for the development and promotion of sound recordkeeping practices. The book is a fully revised and expanded new edition of the authors' 2014 book Records Management and Information Culture: Tackling the people problem. It details an innovative framework for analysing and assessing information culture, and indicates how to use this knowledge to change behaviour and develop recordkeeping practices that are aligned with the specific characteristics of any workplace. This framework addresses the widely recognised problem of improving organisation-wide compliance with a records management programme by tackling the different aspects that make up the organisation's information culture. Discussion of topics at each level of the framework includes strategies and guidelines for assessment, followed by suggestions for next steps: appropriate actions and strategies to influence behavioural change. This new edition has been fully revised and update to greatly enhance the practical application of the information culture concept in both formal and informal recordkeeping environments and contains new chapters on:diagnostic features: genres, workarounds and infrastructure workplace collaboration: how to analyse collaborative practices in organisations (including recordkeeping) education: how to teach information culture concepts and methods in archives and records management graduate programmes. Archivists, records managers and information technology specialists will find this an invaluable guide to improving their practice and solving the 'people problem' of non-compliance with records management programmes. LIS students taking archives and records management modules will also benefit from the application of theory into practice. Records management and information management educators will find the ideas and approaches discussed in this book useful to add an information culture perspective to their curricula.

Recordkeeping culture in Switzerland: the impact of language and communication on the success of recordkeeping initiatives

“…Records management as a recognised professional activity has been heavily influenced by practice in Anglophone countries. The expression “records management” is widely used in English in many countries around the world due to the lack of an equivalent in other languages (Oliver and Foscarini, 2020). In Francophone countries, particularly in France and in Switzerland, it is seen as a foreign import that is difficult to reconcile with archival traditions based on different theory (Vasseur, 2020; Chabin, 2012; Beuchat-Petrova, 2010).…”

Recording the Common Good: Record-keeping practices in New Zealand not-for-profit organisations

“…The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certification ensures that record-keeping upholds quality standards and provides assurance (Mead Metals, 2020). The standard relating to record-keeping is ISO: 15489-1:2016 (Shepard & Yeo, 2013;Oliver and Foscarini, 2020). Multiple countries worldwide adopt these standards to develop standards that then create records policy for individual organisations.…”

“…The application of normative theory from Oliver and Foscarini as well as Klett will show the academic success or failure of records management. Oliver and Foscarini (2020) summarises behaviours, attitudes, and resources that results in the success of a records management programme. In other words, if there is positive support for record-keeping standards, it will be successful.…”

“…Similarly, the standards from New Zealand Archives are also not well known. Shepard & Yeo (2013) and Oliver and Foscarini (2020) discuss the importance of an environmental analysis. The geographic location of the organisation and the legislative requirements, formal structure, and existing procedures need to be taken into account (Shepard & Yeo, 2013).…”

“…Records management has been thought of as a process to create and store information (Oliver & Foscarini, 2020). The conversation of records management is continuously evolving with archives and records managers.…”