Leslis asks, "what are your favorite, or most exciting parts of 
your job as a records management professional? What do you think young 
people should know about the field of RM, and why should they consider a 
profession in the field of records management?"

Starting with the last, first, a 58 second candid camera type blurb caught
by David Gurteen: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUOB3IwsJ0E

It's a bit rough but somes up the balancing act that I feel is essential to
positioning RM for the future. It's not, of course, just about access. 
Neither is it only about compliance.  Litigation, while huge in the States,
is not a driver everywhere and the focus on this as the omnipresent
rationale for RIM actually works against the domain in some jurisdictions. 

RIM enables a necessary balance between compliance and learning--in contexts
in which these two may be conflicting needs. In this, RIM is nothing short
of exciting. Think about the range of knowledge and competencies required to
navigate such a complex territory.

In the clip, I do something I regret - using the "RM might seem boring"
line.  It is anything but and we should stop even accepting that some others
might think so.  

The key is to find what level of RIM activity suits the person. For some, it
is the logical challenge of classification and indexing, made even more
complex with granular attention to metadata. For others, it is the creative
aspect of building an RIM position that reaches widely varied audiences. For
still others, it is the scientific challenge of conservation or the bled of
art and science that is taxonomy design. Some like the codification of
research into schedules. I like wrestling with the enterprise-wide
opportunities to bring benefits in unexpected ways.  

Among all this, there is plenty of room for RIMers who like administrative
roles, operational specialities, etc.  I am not one who believes that a
RIMer who rises through the ranks or moves into another vertical is no
longer legitimately "in" RIM.  We NEED RIMers to rise and proudly proclaim a
RIM sensibility wht ever their role..  As defenders of the basis of knowing,
I believe that we play a pivotal role in shaping organizations and
societies. (Archivists & librarians understand their importance relative to
democracy, learning, accountability, etc.  Why do we not hear more from
RIMers on that score? That, my friends, is a loaded question...there are
plenty of examples that suggest something amiss in the management of records
as related to ethical issues of the day.)

This view has opened up new worlds for me as I apply an RIM lens to just
about every context.  (Ever found a sticky-note on your medical chart? Or
been asked to trust a system in which the evidence-base for decision making
is demonstrably wrong? Or pondered that the shift toward tagging digital
data means that correcting errors depends on perpetuating them?)

For me, the most exciting part of RIM work has evolved with the (many) posts
I have held.  That, in itself, is exciting. You can grow with the progress
of your career.  Using RIM related calculations and presenting to a high
ranking committee to achieve a tripling of  the allocation to govt
departments preparing for access/privacy legislation felt great. Influencing
design to build an efficient yet uplifting physical plant for a downtrodden
team as part of transforming the culture in and out of the RIM program felt
satisfying.  Experiencing contexts beyond my earlier norms was a splendid
mind-jolt that has strengthened my practice. Introducing RIM to world
thinkers in the intellectual capital domain and sparking curiosity has been
challenging and, I think, important.

Hope there's something helpful in here, Leslie.  Probably a good idea to let
your students in on the secret that RIM is not all excitement and glory
(!?!).  Think: silverfish.  Or senior (really high ranking) idiots who
dismiss the need for appropriate atmospheric controls in repositories
because they have no problems with dry cleaner bags in their home closets
(true case). Or the stress of taking necessary action--whatever that may
be--when something wrong is going on.  RIM beyond technical practice is not
for the faint of heart.

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