A records manager is the professional responsible for
records management
Records management, also known as records and information management, is an organizational function devoted to the management of information in an organization throughout its life cycle, from the time of creation or receipt to its eventual dispos ...
in an organization. This role has evolved over time and takes many forms, with many related areas of knowledge required for professional competency. Records managers are found in all types of organizations, including business, government, and nonprofit sectors. Generally, dedicated (i.e., full-time) records managers are found in larger organizations.
History
Records management
Records management, also known as records and information management, is an organizational function devoted to the management of information in an organization throughout its life cycle, from the time of creation or receipt to its eventual dispos ...
evolved from the development of
archives
An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located.
Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual o ...
in the United States government following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. With the explosion of paper records during that war, better systems of management were needed to retain and make the records available for current use. Records managers became specialists that bridged the gap between file clerks and
archivist
An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist can consi ...
s. The profession expanded into the corporate world in the 1950s.
Competencies
The records manager generally provides expertise in
records management
Records management, also known as records and information management, is an organizational function devoted to the management of information in an organization throughout its life cycle, from the time of creation or receipt to its eventual dispos ...
, constituting knowledge areas of:
* Records creation and use
* Active and inactive records systems
* Records appraisal, retention and disposition
* Vital records identification and protection
* Records and
information management
Information management (IM) concerns a cycle of organizational activity: the acquisition of information from one or more sources, the custodianship and the distribution of that information to those who need it, and its ultimate disposal throug ...
technology
The Records Manager may also have subject matter expertise in:
*
Law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
*
Privacy
Privacy (, ) is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively.
The domain of privacy partially overlaps with security, which can include the concepts of ...
and
data protection
Information privacy is the relationship between the collection and dissemination of data, technology, the public expectation of privacy, contextual information norms, and the legal and political issues surrounding them. It is also known as data p ...
*
Information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology syste ...
and electronic storage systems
* General
business
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit."
Having a business name does not separ ...
principles
Specialization
Records managers are present in virtually every type of organization. The role can range from one of a file clerk to the chief information officer of an organization. Records managers may focus on operational responsibilities, design strategies and policies for maintaining and utilizing information, or combine elements of those jobs.
The health care industry has a very specialized view of records management. Health information management involves not only maintaining patient files, but also coding the files to reflect the diagnoses of the conditions suffered by patients. The
American Health Information Management Association
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) is a professional association for health professionals involved in the health information management needed to deliver quality health care to the public. Traditionally focused main ...
(AHIMA) is the professional organization in this space.
Records managers in the pharmaceutical industry are responsible for maintaining laboratory research, clinical trials data, and manufacturing information.
Records managers in law firms often have responsibility for managing conflicts, as well as managing client matter files.
In the United States, records managers in nuclear power plants specialize in compliance with the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with protecting public health and safety related to nuclear energy. Established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the NRC began opera ...
rules regarding the handling of nuclear materials. NIRMA is their local professional organization.
Education and certification
Records managers may have degrees in a wide variety of subjects in all disciplines, and few universities offer formal records management education. Graduate-level programs are often specialties within Library Science and Archival Science programs. Graduate-level
Public History Public history is a broad range of activities undertaken by people with some training in the discipline of history who are generally working outside of specialized academic settings. Public history practice is deeply rooted in the areas of historic ...
programs generally offer coursework in archives and records management. A recent addition to records management education in the United States is the MARA – th
Master of Archives and Records Administrationdegree program — offered by the San Jose State University School of Information.
Professional and trade organizations offer continuing education conferences, seminars, and workshops. Governmental archives and records management departments such as the
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...
offer educational programs of interest to government records managers.
A professional certification, the Certified Records Manager credential is offered by the
Institute of Certified Records Managers
The Institute of Certified Records Managers or ICRM is an international certifying organization of and for professional records and information managers. It is affiliated with ARMA International and the Nuclear Information and Records Management A ...
.
Other organizations may offer certificates reflecting completion of a course of studies, attendance at a seminar, or passing a subject matter test.
See also
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Records management
Records management, also known as records and information management, is an organizational function devoted to the management of information in an organization throughout its life cycle, from the time of creation or receipt to its eventual dispos ...
*
Records management taxonomy Records management taxonomy is the representation of data, upon which the classification of unstructured content is based, within an organization. It may manifest itself as metadata in structured database fields or in folder structures represented t ...
*
Institute of Certified Records Managers
The Institute of Certified Records Managers or ICRM is an international certifying organization of and for professional records and information managers. It is affiliated with ARMA International and the Nuclear Information and Records Management A ...
References
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Information management
Records management