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From:
"Allen, Doug" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Records Management Program <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 16 Apr 2005 04:12:36 -0400
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Tina,

If you are asking in order to determine whether the media on which you store
those records is sufficient, I'll have to say "it depends".  The life of
magnetic disks can vary substantially, and are subject to crashes, and other
problems.  Tape formats may last for 5 or 10 years, but again the longevity
of magnetic tape varies substantially.  Other media, like optical disk may
be "guaranteed" for 30 or more years, but that guarantee is worth ONLY the
replacement cost of the media itself.  A key challenge with any of the media
types, however, relates to the availability of the equipment and systems
necessary to READ that information.  It is not at all unusual to see
advances in optical drives render older drives obsolete within a 5 to 7 year
timeframe.

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has established some rules
for state and local government agencies to follow whenever they retain
records of any kind in magnetic form.  Those rules might (repeat MIGHT)
provide a basis for determining what your organization might attempt to do.
I would recommend that you get to the Texas State Library and Archives web
site, look for the rules and see whether they might apply to your situation.

Whatever you may chose to do, I recommend that you do NOT rely on a single
copy of records on disk, tape, or optical...unless there's little damage
from the risk of loss of those records.  If you do store in magnetic or
optical form, put backup procedures in place, continue to monitor for
technology development so that you can migrate from one media to another or
from one format to another to ensure the preservation of those records for
the length of time that you need to retain them.  Finally, if the records
are of long-term value (more than 10 years), it is certainly not a bad idea
to consider generating a microfilm copy for retention purposes.

With all of the above, it is not a case of the content being worth "more"
than the longevity of the media.....but that the content and the retention
of that content should DRIVE your decisions regarding media selection,
backup strategy, etc.

Douglas P. Allen, CRM, CDIA+
Business Development Manager
Global 360
3103 Sasparilla Cove
Austin, TX 78748
(512) 292-3817 -- direct
(512) 791-8027 -- cell phone

http://www.global360.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Peter Kurilecz
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 6:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Digital Electronic Retention

On 4/15/05, Tina Clayton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Thank you - I know content is worth more than object.
>

you're welcome, but we still don't know the content for which you are trying
to determine retention

peterk

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