>
> I do not know a single archivist
> who wants to keep everything. Is this just one of those running jokes
> that runs through Recmgmt-L? Or am I missing something? I'm a little
> concerned that RIM students lurking on the List might take the
> assertion that archivists want to keep everything at face value when
> you guys just are kidding.


It's not a joke. It's experience from working with those across the aisle,
or maybe more appropriately, amid the stacks. Yeah, they don't necessarily
want to keep everything forever, but they want to keep lots of things that
have met their assigned retention and the creator or "owner" has determined
they should be discarded, because they are of no business or enduring value.


One of the problems I've seen is if the individual who generated them
doesn't see them as having an enduring value, then how is it the archivist
is able to override that? And I don't buy into the concept that they have a
better "big picture" view, especially in a scientific, trechnical or
research environment.


Wander over to the Archives and Archivists Listserv if you
> have time and you'll see that.


Here''s what the wander yielded after culling the results of a search for
"keep everything":

http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0007D&L=ARCHIVES&P=R3595&D=1&I=-3&O=D&T=0

"As a result, the Muskie Archives is obliged to keep everything, including
case
file and other segments that are normally pitched by an archives."


http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9907B&L=ARCHIVES&P=R10250&D=1&I=-3&O=D&T=0

"I guess it's part of the archivist psyche to want to keep everything..... "


http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9804B&L=ARCHIVES&P=R3006&D=1&I=-3&O=D&T=0

"I agree with those who have said that it makes sense to keep everything
ever posted to the list. "


http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9804D&L=ARCHIVES&P=R1852&D=1&I=-3&O=D&T=0

"These two questions parallel the earlier discussion of archiving the
Archives
Listserv -- keep everything or appraise messages or threads. The consensus
answer seemed to be whatever best suited your needs and matched your
resources."


http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9311C&L=ARCHIVES&P=R1237&D=1&I=-3&O=D&T=0

"Our archives recently received a collection of maps (1919-1970)from the
family of a local surveyor. Should we keep everything or weed out
duplicates? I would appreciate hearing about how other archivists
deal with this scenario".


http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0104C&L=ARCHIVES&P=R15223&D=1&I=-3&O=D&T=0

"The easiest course to follow is for everybody to keep everything they get
in its original format forever. "


http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9708B&L=ARCHIVES&P=R3573&D=1&I=-3&O=D&T=0

"...whereas governmental offices may discard up to 90% or more of the
documentation created by a body, a manuscript repository tends to keep
nearly everything it receives."


http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0502A&L=ARCHIVES&P=R1878&D=1&I=-3&O=D&T=0&m=57808

"I think it might be extremely difficult to keep everything, but I also
think
we have a responsibility to have the best collection of these materials.
The central library is one of 28 library projects (remodels, restorations,
additions and new construction projects) --all of which should be
collected."

And NO... this was not a witch hunt or an attempt to take the comments out
of context, but merely an attempt to point out that IT DOES HAPPEN. This was
my favorite... "I guess it's part of the archivist psyche to want to keep
everything..... "

I don't see archivists questioning the
> value of RM or its practitioners.


An issue I've faced in countless organizations I've worked in and with is
it's not at all uncommon to hear from an archivist that if a record has the
retention period "indefinite" or (gasp!) "permanent" assigned to it, that it
should be accessioned into the archives. The problem is the record is just
that, A RECORD... and although it may not be reviewed on a regular and
frequent basis, it is being retained in accordance with a legal, statutory
or regulatory requirement, and it's still considered an ACTIVE record. And
as a records manager, I'm completely at odds with the concept of an active
record being accessioned into an archive.

The argument is always the same "We're better suited to managing items of a
permanent value"... well, in my experience, it's quite the contrary. While
some institutions DO have better environmental controls in their archives
areas, many do not... and they aren't suited to manging large collections of
active records, or responding to requests for huge volumes of records in
response to audits, legal actions, etc. in a timely manner. Also, the
tendency with archives is to rearrange the records into the manner they
prefer to manage them in, not in the order they were turned over to Records
Management in, which is typically by records series, chronologically.

Truth be known, I'm not one to draw a line in the sand between records and
archives. I ran the archives at one company I worked for with a 100 year
history and NO ARCHIVES when I was hired there as a RIM, so I fully
understand the value... and more to the point... the difference between the
vision and mission of the two functions. They both have their purpose; one
is primarily to serve a business and legal need and the other to serve a
more esoteric need, but at times, provide access to holdings for business
purposes as well.

Larry

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