Dear colleagues

Like Susan McKinney, I must make apologies to non-ARMA members for
posting this here.  However, as many ARMA members are on this listserv,
I think it is appropriate to pose these questions here, as I am very
interested in the feedback of the 'ordinary' North American ARMA member.
However, non-ARMA members may certainly respond!

 

I was International Ambassador for ARMA (Australasia and South-East
Asia) for a couple of years - my term of office has just ended.  It was
a most interesting, rewarding and enlightening experience, not least
because it gave me the opportunity to meet many of you at the annual
ARMA conference.  As many of you will no doubt be aware, ARMA has
identified internationalisation as one of its top priorities for
discussion at the next SPC meeting, as it is reconsidering its
international involvement.

 

The questions I have are the following: 

*            What does internationalisation mean for you, as North
American members?  

*            Do you think that increasing international membership will
assist you?  In what ways?

*            Do you think that collaboration between the ICA and ARMA is
useful?  How?  Should other similar liaisons be developed, and if so,
with whom?

*            Do you think that ARMA should become an international
umbrella body for the records profession, or should it remain the US
professional association, leaving another professional association (or
association of associations) to act as an international forum?  (Like
the languishing International Records Management Council, or IFLA, for
those of you familiar with the librarianship world).

*            Is internationalisation of ARMA important to you?

*            What does internationalisation of ARMA actually mean to you
- i.e. what do you understand by this term?

*            What role do you think ARMA might play in
internationalisation in Majority World countries, where ARMA fees, in US
dollars, are prohibitive, and such members have the same chance of
attending an ARMA conference in the US as flying to the moon?  Let's
face it, it's expensive even from Australia!

*            In order to be international, should ARMA allocate funds to
the translation of all documents and publications into languages other
than English, and, if so, which languages?  Which non-English journals
do you read regularly?

 

I ask these questions because, while I anticipate that many of you are
keen to know more about the practice of RIM in other countries, and I
would suggest countries like Australia, for example :-), and also many
of your work in multinational companies and therefore need to be aware
of international RIM practices and legislation, I am unsure of what that
means in terms of the role of a North American professional association,
whose membership comprises primarily North American RIMs.  Many of you
will be aware that many countries - including Australia, UK, Singapore,
and so forth have their own professional associations, which cater to
local needs and those international issues that affect them.  

 

I believe that much greater clarification needs to be provided by ARMA
regarding what the goals of internationalisation are in this context,
and what it means for existing members.

 

If you have a point of view on any of these issues, please post to the
list and let's see what discussion (if any) results.  It should be borne
in mind that in order to implement any strategy, your membership fees
will be used in order to pursue it.  How do you want your fees spent?

 

From a deliberately controversial 

Sue

 

Sue Myburgh

University of South Australia

 

 

 

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