On 4/20/06, Graham Kitchen <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Sorry to belabor this point, but if it is removed from our literature
> and training, then what are those smaller organizations to do?  Where
> will they get the information to do a job that has been "dumped" on
> them.


An excellent point, and I guess my attempt to CLARIFY what the question
wanted may have done just the opposite.  NO ONE IS SUGGESTING we remove it,
what is being asked is do present RIMs think that mailroom operations should
be considered a "competency" required to be an RIM, and if so, what
accompanying knowledge and skills should one have to properly perform the
task?

After all.... Who chose to be a Records Manager?  For most of us,
> it was a job that needed doing, so we did it.  And we were happy to get
> information wherever we could.


Actually, many of us DID CHOOSE IT as a profession.  And yes, the position
description has morphed over time, and the responsibilities and duties have
continued to change.  But in my present and last situation, neither included
mailroom operations.  It's an independent function organized under the same
major department as RIM, but with a completely different reporting line.

Are we now to cut that off from the people that follow?


Absolutely not.  But as stated, not all RIM organizations are responsible
for it.

http://www.oaklandauditor.com/reports/report_mailroom.pdf

http://www.irs.gov/irm/part1/ch15s01.html

In fact, in most City, County, State or Federal circumstances, it's
completely independent of any other function

ARMA is an association that was originally formed to educate.
>

And that's something that hasn't changed... if anything, ARMA is taking an
even greater role in providing educational resources to its membership than
ever before.  The volume and content of the sessions at Conference,
co-sponsoring of educational events with other organizations, Webinars,
Standards, Guidelines and other resources is at its highest level ever that
I can recall.

Yes... "the times they are a changing" and we have to keep up, but the
> education should not be replaced.... It should be added to.


And as mentioned, there is no desire to lessen the education, but as with
everything else, there is a reality check that needs to be performed and I
think it's been a long time since anyone has on this aspect of "records
management".  A comment I heard from one of my contemporaries was that the
volume of physical mail they see that doesn't consist of catalogs,
magazines, and junk mail is rather limited, maybe about 2-5% of the total.

Larry
--
Larry Medina
Danville, CA
RIM Professional since 1972

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