> Subject: Managing digital National Archive "a challenge"
> 
> 
> The Chief Executive of the National Archives Jeff James has responded to
> suggestions by Google's Vint Cerf that in the future our old digital
> records "may not be readable".


This is interesting in that the NFPA under its Protection of Records Standard ( NFPA 232)  is now concerned with protecting Electronic Records Management Systems.

The issue is that NFPA Standards deal more with fire protection. But if computer media, back up tapes, back up drives stored offline all require certain environmental requirements. Protection Standards have mentioned that certain media requires maintaining a temperature below 150º F or 125º F while maintaining the relative humidity below 85% or 80% respectively.  The specifications for Data Safes has long listed their ability to protect against temperature and humidity extremes that would destroy records within the devices or vaults.

But now NFPA 75 which deals with protecting Server Rooms is trying to find guidance about how Electronic Records should be protected.  They push the requirement off to NFPA 232 to develop a requirement.

But if temperature and humidity can destroy records, not just fire, then where should the guidance come from?  Class 350 Document protection is not the only requirement now since records are no longer just paper.  Vital Records can now be defined as Electronic Records as we have discussed.

But this opens new  concerns.  Is this in the records management/information governance field or does this simply go to IT to develop the solution?

Your thoughts??

Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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