Elizabeth, both you and Paula raise an interesting issue, which a
private poster raised with me as well. Notice the difference in
perspective between government and private sector records managers. The
latter - realistically, I think - are very hesitant about the term
"permanent" and its implications. They see corporate buy-outs, mergers,
and the normal ebb and flow of the business world, not to mention a
difficult to justify preservation expense in such an environment.

Beyond the media viability that Paula raised, is there also
jurisdictional, or organizational viability?

In the case of corporate charters, many of these are recorded via state
Corporations Divisions as permanent records. Similarly, most real
property records are recorded at the county level as permanent records.
Ultimately the "record copy" resides with a governmental entity of some
sort.

This, by the way, is one of the reasons I regret the fact that most
county recording functions have moved away from recorders of any
document for posterity (for a fee, of course), to primarily recorders of
real estate documentation. This was done for efficiency sake, but I
think it undermines one of the fundamental reasons such a function was
originally conceived: as an impartial recorder/protector of records,
particularly between different parties, and as a permanent repository of
same. Our own recording office won't record wills, for example. When I
worked in Washington state years ago, we recorded periodically a
manifesto published by a gentleman who was convinced dentists were going
to take over the world, and wanted proof for posterity. We also recorded
poems on napkins.

Maybe recording functions made the right choice, given the above. Should
permanence be bought for a fee?

Our own Oregon Historical Society is teetering on the brink of financial
disaster; and yes, governments can collapse. Any preservation decision
entails the minimization of risks. However, I for one have not really
considered jurisdictional risk (actually we have - keeping the records
of volatile, temporary regional bodies: drug task forces, etc...). 

Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Records Management Program
1620 SE 190th Avenue
Gresham, OR 97233
phone: (503)988-3741
fax: (503)988-3754
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