O knowledgeable ones on the list, I need your help.....once again.

We are a government agency that comments on plans for structures within
many of our floodplains and watersheds.  For the past two years, I have
been fighting with a business unit in our office to ensure that all
engineering drawing or topographical mapping be received electronically
(CD's, DVD's etc) as well as in a paper format.  The maps or plans are
often a large size often 3 or 4 feet in size and are the preferred choice
for the planners and the analysts to read them.  They have now agreed to
provide electronic copies.

We're now implementing our EDRMS and my desire is to have complete
electronic records including the maps.  The thought of re-scanning maps or
drawings which were electronically created is not practical, hence the
electronic copy with the paper copy.  We want complete electronic records
rather than a combination of both.  Our ultimate goal is to do away with
the paper altogether and have staff use the electronic copy.  This is
meeting great resistance in the organization.  I have told this department
that we will store (we have a centralized records centre) these paper maps
for all least the next two years.  The question is:  How are other
organizations dealing with this issue?  It really is difficult to read
mapping from a computer monitor even if it is 19" in size.  The cost to
upgrade 20 monitors to this size is substantial.

One solution I had for them was to provide a meeting room with a computer
and video projector with a large screen or just a large screen TV.  This
is really difficult to take to offsite meetings though.  Any other
thoughts?

John Annunziello
Records Information Specialist
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
5 Shoreham Drive
Downsview, Ontario M3N 1S4
(416) 661-6600 ext. 5272
fax:  (416) 661-6898
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