1. Municipal Professionals Academy 24 July 2014 You’re Worth It – Keeping Historical Records and Available Funding 1

2. This session concerns preservation of historical records: value in preserving historical records peculiar needs encountered in preserving records resources for assuring preservation of historical records for ongoing use

3. Historical Records Preservation Why is this important?

4. Records’ Purpose and Value Records facilitate performance of business. Records are the “memory” of a city government. Records document policies, actions, communications, transactions, thus afford evidence of the performance of official city business.

5.  Some records’ value diminishes to such extent that those records are no longer needed as evidence of city business.  Some records remain permanently valuable for the purposes for which they were created  Some records become valuable for purposes other than those for which the records were originally created. Records’ value changes over time:

6. Records Life Cycle National Archives and Records Administration, Disposition of Federal Records: A Records Management Handbook (http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/publications/disposition-of-federal-records/chapter-1.html)

7. Library and Archives Canada, Records and Information Life Cycle Management (http://www.bac- lac.gc.ca/eng/services/government-information-resources/information-management/Pages/records-information-life- cycle/introduction.aspx)

8. Records Life Cycle 1. Creation or receipt of records 2. Active record use through completion of matters documented by the records, with retention of inactive records for legal compliance, fiscal need or administrative reference 3. Records disposition a) Records destruction once routine legal, fiscal and administrative usefulness or need is past b) Permanent preservation as ARCHIVES due to historical value

13. Historical Records Preservation What is needed?

14. Some preservation considerations Historical value Uniqueness Accessibility Risk of loss  Format  Condition  Technology obsolescence

15. Preservation Resource Needs Technical resources Financial resources

16. Technical resources Consultants/service providers IHRAB State Archivist Published sources

17. Some considerations for selecting preservation solutions Enhanced preservation and access Legality Technical ability to preserve Methods Long term sustainability of solution Affordability

18. Financial Resources Local budget Donations/contributions Collaborations Grants

19. Selected Archives and Records Management Informational Resources Archives preservation grant assistance: State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) - Historical Resource Development Program (HRDP) http://www.iowahistory.org/about/grants/hrdp/index.htmlhttp://www.iowahistory.org/about/grants/hrdp/index.html Local government records management resources: Iowa League of Cities records retention schedule https://www.iowaleague.org/Pages/Home.aspx https://www.iowaleague.org/Pages/Home.aspx National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators (NAGARA) http://nagara.org/content.php?page=Local_Government_Records_Management_Tec hnical_Bulletins (includes bulletins developed in collaboration with International Institute of Municipal Clerks) http://nagara.org/content.php?page=Local_Government_Records_Management_Tec hnical_Bulletins International Records Management Trust (IRMT) http://www.irmt.org/http://www.irmt.org/

20. Some professional associations offering online technical resources: National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators (NAGARA) http://www.nagara.org/index.cfmhttp://www.nagara.org/index.cfm ARMA International http://www.arma.org/http://www.arma.org/ Society of American Archivists http://www2.archivists.org/http://www2.archivists.org/ Preservation/conservation service providers and informational resources: Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/publications/notes/index-eng.aspx US National Park Service (NPS) http://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html http://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html

21. Government archives and records agencies with online technical resources: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) http://www.archives.gov/ http://www.archives.gov/ National Archives of Australia http://naa.gov.au/records-management/index.aspxhttp://naa.gov.au/records-management/index.aspx Library and Archives Canada http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/ See also the archives services of numerous other jurisdictions http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html http://www.uiweb.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html

22. For further information: Jeffrey L. Dawson, CA Deputy State Archivist Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Historical Division (State Historical Society of Iowa) 600 East Locust Street Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0290 515-281-7801 jeffrey.dawson@iowa.gov