Hi Yvonne,
I asked one of our tech guys this questions and this is his answer. Hope it
helps!
Microfilm is a trusted tool for long term preservation. Microfilm has a
life expectancy of 100 years for a diazo duplicates and 500 years for a
silver original/master if stored properly in a controlled environment. The
only issue is will we be able to read microfilm in a 100 years never mind
500! But with the technologies that are now available we can make documents
available within seconds. Technology also allows us to back up documents
daily thus creating digital preservation.
And yes digital preservation has its negatives also.
Digital technology is developing quickly and retrieval and viewing
technologies can become obsolete in a matter of years. When faster, more
capable and less expensive storage and processing devices are developed,
older versions may be quickly replaced. When a software or technology is
abandoned, or a hardware device is no longer in production, records created
with such technologies are at great risk of loss, simply because they are no
longer accessible. This process is known as digital obsolescence. To avoid
digital obsolescence clients need to migrate their data. Migration is the
transferring of data to a newer system or media. This may include conversion
of resources from one file format to another (e.g., conversion of Microsoft
Word to PDF), from one operating system to another or from one programming
language to another so the resource remains fully accessible and functional.
Digital preservation is defined as:
long-term, error-free storage of digital information, with means for
retrieval and interpretation, for the entire time span the information is
required for. Long-term is defined as "long enough to be concerned with the
impacts of changing technologies, including support for new media and data
formats, or with a changing user community.
We can also create microfilm from an electronic image if required. Do they
need to access the documents? If so do they have a microfilm/microfiche
reader printers available. Equipment comes a high cost also,(maintenance
cost, service contracts, toner or ink cartridges, down time, paper) Most
companies/people have access to adobe's free pdf viewer so documents can be
sent via email, saved to thumb drives, etc.
In the end it all comes down to do you have a retention plan in place? And
most importantly do you follow the guide lines of your retention plan?
Remember though, we are not privy in a lot of cases when it comes to the
legality of the document so we always recommend speaking to legal council
before making any decisions. Each state has its own guidelines and
requirements.
Cindy Bialy
Director of Marketing
AMS Imaging LLC
[log in to unmask]
(800) 966-5738
(401)738-5111 x245
-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Yvonne Spence
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 4:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Microfilm Outdated?
Hi, my name is Yvonne Spence. I am a long time records manger. I used to
be the Deputy City Clerk in Austin, TX, but now I am the City Clerk in
Fresno, CA. I am a longtime user of the list serve, but I rarely post.
However a response that I received today from a State agency in California
threw me for a loop and prompted me to post a question to this group. Here
is the response I received:
"The original statement may be discarded after two years so long as it can
be accessed via a space saving device for the remaining five years (or
longer). We no longer recommend microfilm, as the technology is outdated
and the statements must be accessible for the entire retention period, or
longer, if the record is retained longer than seven years. "
I have always regarded microfilm to be the most trusted tool used for
preservation purposes, is this no longer the case?
[cid:image001.png@01CD132C.672ACF40]
Yvonne Spence, CRM CMC
City Clerk
2600 Fresno Street
Fresno, CA 93721
559-621-7665
[log in to unmask]
www.fresno.gov
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