Greg:

Thanks to you and those others who educated me about the services available
from the state archives.  Two cents an image is a good price, but it does
add up -- one hundred thousand sides would cost $2,000.  Free quality
storage is an even greater value.  BTW, I would also write the index data
out to film, and try to link an entry to a reel, then add reel specific
indexing at the start of each reel pointing when possible to the starting
frame.  A computer can generate this relatively easily and the benefit for
later locating a document is priceless.

However, I think some of your discussion is not relevant to the case under
discussion.

The costs you mention are important (in fact I think your percentages are
low), but they are not specific to the permanent records held but an
overhead for having any document management system.  If you assume that the
EDRMS is there to support current operations, then these costs would exist
even if no permanent records were held in it.

-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Mennegar, Greg
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 8:59 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Cost Comparisons

There are a few things I'd like to add about the recent postings regarding
Andrew's questions.

The Washington State Archives provides services to convert images to
archival (500 year life expectancy) microfilm.  As someone mentioned, the
rate is less than 2 cents per image for most image file formats.
Using this service will typically result in about a ten year or less ROI,
depending on your agency's costs for storing paper records.

The Archives provides FREE storage of the microfilm in secure underground
environmentally controlled vaults.  The microfilm is inspected and treated
with polysulfide to prolong the life of the media.
It is then transferred to vault storage to ensure compliance with Washington
State and AIIM/ANSI standards.  A diazo copy is unnecessary unless an analog
'backup' is desired in the event of network or server failures that prevent
access to the imaging system.

Maintaining permanent records in perpetuity online is an expensive
proposition.  Annual hardware and software maintenance expenses are
typically 15 percent per year of the initial purchase price.  In addition,
money must be budgeted for upgrades as vendors continually release new
software versions and hardware products and stop supporting the old version
within a few years.  In essence, you need to plan to expend the same amount
of money as your initial investment (or more) every five years or so.  

Microfilm, while not required in all cases, is an inexpensive "insurance
policy" to help protect the records that we are held accountable to
preserve.

Greg Mennegar
Office of Secretary of State
Washington State Archives
Imaging and Preservation Services
Manager
[log in to unmask]
http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/imaging.aspx

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