Mary, you are right to point out that in the real world of records
management, the distinction between official and non-official records can be
blurred. Our practical experience certainly tells us that but that doesn't
mean we should avoid the "official record game" as you put it.

I come across these blurry lines all the time because it is possible for
more than one copy to be official even when the owner who has responsibility
for it has been clearly determined.

In my capacity as an information policy adviser to the Archive of Ontario
(which in turn is responsible for advising the Government of Ontario and
recorded information management policies, guidelines and practices), I hold
duplicates of records whose owner (and holder of the official record) is
somewhere else in the government.

Let me illustrate. My current project is the development of government-wide
file classification plan for the Government of Ontario. Obviously, my
research involved collection and analysis of materials that was or appeared
to be relevant to my project. These materials are copies; the originals are
to be found elsewhere in the Ontario government (and in other provincial or
international jurisdictions). The person or organization who produced and
maintain responsibility for these materials obviously hold official records.

But here is the rub. These records are official records for the purposes of
my project because they provide documentation that support or justify the
conclusions or recommendations that I make with respect to the development
and implementation of the government-wide file classification plan. From a
retention standpoint, I keep the supporting documents together with any
original documents I generate (e.g., the file plan itself, the file plan
writer's guide, etc.) Any research materials that had no impact on my work
remain unofficial and are effectively tossed out.

In other words, some duplicates are unofficial while other duplicates are
official because they become part of a wider corpus of materials that are
closely linked to the original official documents that I generated during my
project.

Gerry van Houten
Information Policy Adviser
Archives of Ontario

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