I have followed this thread with interest - I am a PhD student and an
unabashed theory junkie. Personally, I can't imagine doing the work of a
practitioner without the inspiration of the big picture, the common threads
and the new ideas that theory and theoretical discussions provide. I think a
peer-reviewed journal dedicated to RM and welcoming articles presenting both
the practical and the theoretical perspectives and issues would be wonderful
and I would love to be involved.
Thanks for the discussion and ideas,
Corinne
Corinne Rogers, MAS, CFRE
PhD student
School of Library, Archival and Information Studies
University of British Columbia
On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 11:54 PM, Jenny Borland <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>
> Well said Dwight. But I hope this discussion does not die on the listserv.
> My next question is intended for those on the list who agree with Dwight.
> As
> a student and future professional how can I help bring a peer reviewed
> journal to RM? What actions can I take to ensure this discussion is
> continued and brought to ARMA or the AIEF for serious debate.
>
> Any suggestions? I do not want the discussion to fade away when there is so
> much to do.
>
> Jenny
>
> Jennifer Borland
> MAS/MLIS Candidate
> School of Library, Archival and Information Studies
> University of British Columbia, Canada
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf
> Of WALLIS Dwight D
> Sent: December-04-09 12:51 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Professional RM journals
>
> During the ARMA conference in Las Vegas, I personally felt that the best
> session was given by Patricia Galloway regarding big buckets,
> classification and desktop strategies. Ms. Galloway's research had been
> funded by the AIEF. I thought the session was brilliant, I peppered her
> throughout with questions, and remember thinking as I left of how proud
> I was that ARMA had supported such basic research.
>
> Imagine my dismay when the reaction of the majority of my colleagues was
> one of "what a waste of time and resources"! Because the research had no
> direct bearing on their jobs, they considered it worthless. I explained
> that basic research rarely has a direct bearing on immediate concerns;
> yet can have a profound impact over time. Mostly I got blank stares.
>
> On another, but connected, issue - a recent attempt to reclassify my
> records administrative assistant into a higher level inventory stores
> specialist 2, in reflection of his increased job duties, fell flat on
> its face. Despite the fact that I had contributed to the ISS2
> classification development some years ago with exactly this promotional
> path in mind, even inserting specific records language, the current
> classification team refused to acknowledge anything beyond "file clerk".
> The process was surreal - it didn't matter what I said or wrote, they
> simply refused to recognize any of my staff member's specialized skills,
> and even threatened a demotion if I made a fuss (believe me, that hasn't
> stopped me from continuing to "make a fuss"!). It became obvious to me
> that the lack of a federal job classification for records management was
> having an impact on the process.
>
> My sense is that this lack of recognition has less impact on established
> managers and higher level professionals in the field - as Carol Choksy
> pointed out, we are a profession of some pretty dynamic types, capable
> of feathering our own nests, among other things. However, it is having
> an impact on my line staff, and on their levels of compensation.
> Similarly, the lack of a scholarly journal is having an impact on young
> people doing the hard work of getting a specialized education in the
> field, and on their ability to best meet their aspirations. The two are
> very much connected: entry becomes harder, and once "in", compensation
> does not begin to pay the college bills. Why would people even bother?
>
> Luciana and Pat have both made a compelling case for a scholarly journal
> supported by ARMA: they've addressed issues of cost, participation and
> support. Surely an educational foundation with $400K in assets can
> support what appears to be an effort that students and academics would
> eagerly support, participate in, and build at minimal cost. What would
> it take for the AIEF to set up a special fund to support such an
> endeavor? I for one would be happy to donate to such a fund, and I'm
> sure others would join me. It doesn't even seem to me that dues would
> have to be a factor.
>
> Records management is a big tent, and its natural for some of us to be
> focused on our immediate concerns. My belief that RIM is fundamental to
> a functioning democracy may not be as compelling an issue to one who's
> RIM connection is the sale of ERMs systems, or the support of a
> corporate ECM infrastructure. A significant portion of what ARMA does
> has no relevance to me or the county I serve - SOX, for example - but I
> still support the organization. That's because the issue is not
> "immediate relevance to me me me", its what is in the long term
> interests of the profession as a whole. And what better representation
> of those long term interests than the commitment young people make when
> signing up at considerable expense to educate themselves, advance their
> careers, and advance our profession.
>
> A scholarly journal would help them achieve that, provide legitimacy to
> the profession as a whole, and maybe, eventually, be an element in
> creating a more positive outcome in compensation for the line staff that
> do the hard work every day. I may not be the best fellow to participate
> in such an endeavor, but I'd be happy to ship a couple hundred dollars
> in donations to help get it going. Get a few more like me, and we might
> have a going concern. Of course, donations to the AIEF are tax
> deductable.
>
> I remember reading in the American Archivist many moons ago an article
> by Elsie Freeman that called for a greater focus on customer service and
> cost containment in archives. At the time, Ms. Freeman's article was not
> well received, similar to the reaction I saw to Ms. Galloway's
> presentation. Unfortunately, that's often the reaction to leading edge
> thinking. Yet the article had a profound impact on me and my career, as
> I began developing services with a focus on exactly those elements in an
> environment still dominated by a regulatory, cost doesn't matter,
> records cop mentality. I began prioritizing processing projects based on
> criteria of cost, usage, and preservation (an early crude version of
> "more product less process"). We began lowering barriers to access;
> opening our doors to researchers we previously hadn't taken seriously,
> including a group of blue collar locals who used our archives to
> successfully save a local community swimming center threatened with
> closure. It was a successful approach that helped turn around a few
> programs in the area at a time when they were threatened with
> elimination, including the one I am currently in.
>
> Articles like that are more likely to be consistently produced in a peer
> reviewed, scholarly journal; and will have more impact and validity when
> pushing the edges because of that rigorous environment. Where is our
> journal? Who is waiting for their inspiration to see the light? The
> approach I described above, revolutionary at the time, is now old hat.
> The world is profoundly different now; what new ideas need nurturing?
> What young person is waiting to be inspired, like I was?
>
> Really, what would it take?
>
> Dwight Wallis, CRM
> Records Administrator
> Multnomah County Fleet, Records, Electronics, Distribution and Stores
> (FREDS)
> 1620 S.E. 190th Avenue
> Portland, OR 97233
> Phone: (503)988-3741
> Fax: (503)988-3754
> [log in to unmask]
>
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>
--
Corinne
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