D. Bearman, THE IMPLICATIONS OF ARMSTRONG V EXECUTIVE OF THE PRESIDENT FOR THE ARCHIVAL MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRONIC RECORDS, The American archivist, 56(4), 1993, pp. 674-689
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Information Science & Library Science",History,History
This article reviews the arguments presented by both sides in the laws
uit Armstrong v. the Executive Office of the President, which concerne
d the electronic mail created by the Reagan and Bush White House on th
e IBM PROFS system. It examines the emerging consensus among archivist
s worldwide on approaches to managing electronic records and considers
the ways in which the position taken by the government failed to refl
ect best practices. Specifically, it examines recent discussions of fu
nctional requirements for recordkeeping systems and raises some implic
ations of a functional perspective for archival programs and strategie
s. It concludes by arguing that archivists will need to play a more ac
tive role in the society at large in order to ensure that the broader
culture understands and acts on the threats to accountability presente
d by computer-based electronic communications.