In my line of work I often protect records of great value to a  
corporation or a government entity and in some cases private owners  
of historical documents.

I am currently involved in a project to protect a privately owned  
copy of the Declaration of Independence. I have worked with this  
owner, Tom Lingenfelter to develop  a tour across the country to show  
the rarest of documents in public exhibition spaces. I have suggested  
that ARMA Chapters ecome involved as loca co-spnsors of the tour as  
it is an excellent case studt in records protection, the first  
serious attempts to image originals and the concept of redundancy to  
protect an original document.

Only two Anastatic copies of the Declaration are known to have been  
made.  They are a far clearer image of the original than even the  
original.  The original engrossed copy was displayed on a wall in the  
U.S. Patent Office for years and years with sunlight fading it and  
with new conjecture that the anastatic copying process further  
damaged the original.

Only two anastatic copies exist, that we know of, one of which is in  
Independence Hall in their Archive and as yet never publicly  
displayed, and the Lingenfelter copy. Currently the NYC Chapter is  
playing a leading role in coordinating the first public viewing.

Imagine, if you will, this document arriving in NYC and the local  
Chapter hosting a kick off cocktail party where ARMA RM's introduce  
this copy to the Press, interview with local newspapers about the  
significance of the document and a public panel discussion about the  
relevance of records management, its role in protecting vital  
records, different methodologies, (redundancy, imaging, vaulting and  
records management to protect the chain of custody) and the laws that  
control the development of records management. All done in an  
educational forum with Press coverage and records managers as the  
star in this proposed educational forum. (I did not come upwith this  
idea so I can't take credit for the Forum idea. Fred Grevin and the  
NYC Chapter developed this idea.

But what positive publicity? What high level exposure?  Even the tie  
into the role of records in a financial crisis to develop  
accountability?  The imagination soars at the possibilities.

We are still in development of the tour but I hope to have a tour  
that visits NYC. Boston, Texas, Washington, Nevada, Indiana and a few  
other large markets to promote records management and the  
significance of this document and all records in our society.  I have  
a small PowerPoint about the development of copies of the Declaration  
(Dunlap Broadsides, the Stone Engraved copies, the engrossed copy and  
the anastatic copies) and some photos of this document and if you  
would like to view them and talk about the potential of your Chapter  
becoming involved in the cross country tour come by the FIRELOCK  
booth or we could talk at the Listserve Party.

If I can pull off this successful tour and promotion of records  
managers and records management in general, this will be my thank you  
to all of you for the years of advice guidance.  I can never repay  
the kindness of Larry Medina, Peter Kurilecz, Fred Grevin, Alan  
Andolsen, Ginny Jones, Sharon Kunz, Bruce White and many others who  
have helped me understand the role of records management in the world  
of industry and government.  Thank you.

If you would like to read more about this document, here is a link to  
an article:

http://www.firelock.com/article17.htm

My brother Terry passed away of cancer this last July so I am going  
to be lonely in the booth so come by.

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
[log in to unmask]
(610)  756-4440    Fax (610)  756-4134
WWW.FIRELOCK.COM


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