I totally agree with you Gary.  Although different media are considered 
records and we all know that records are records because of the content, 
users somehow treat them differently.

In the paper realm in our office, we often find phone messages (the small 
pink ones), notes scribbled on napkins from restaurants and notes 
scribbled in the column of reports.  These have all gone so easily gone 
into the paper folder.  Are they records?...of course.

In the electronic realm, it is the users responsibility to store 
information into the repository.....whether it is shared drive or an EDMS. 
 However, for some reason, these items listed above are not considered as 
records and often not stored into the EDMS.  For some reason, they seem to 
be less significant because of how they were created.   Truly it is the 
mindset of the user.  Our goal as record practitioners, is to change the 
mindset of the user...and this isn't easy to do.

In our office, most of the records in our EDMS are open to be viewed by 
most staff.  Not many are locked down in the security mode.  It is much 
easier to locate an electronic file, rather than a paper file.  Often 
scrolling through the classification file structure, users come across 
information that they never new existed before....and view it.   Possibly, 
users are far more picky in what is stored in the electronic realm, as it 
may be seen by more users?

John Annunziello, ermm
Manager, Records and Information 
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
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"Information is a corporate, strategic asset that needs to be managed"

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