Meeting of the Board of Regents | December 2009
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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 |
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TO: |
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FROM: |
Jeffrey Cannell |
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SUBJECT: |
Progress Report on Managing Electronic Records in New York State |
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DATE: |
December 1, 2009 |
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STRATEGIC GOAL: |
4 & 5 |
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AUTHORIZATION(S): |
SUMMARY
Issue for Discussion
The Regents will be briefed on electronic records issues faced by New York.
Proposed Handling
The Regents will discuss next steps to plan for sufficient resources to preserve the digital heritage of New York State.
Background Information
One of the most pressing issues facing archives around the nation is the preservation of electronic records, which is complicated by the diversity of formats, obsolescence of the technology, and daunting preservation requirements.
Within the limits of existing resources, the Archives has made much progress to improve the management of electronic records in its custody. However, the cost of managing New York State’s electronic records long-term is considerably more than the Archives can support. Almost every record produced in New York today is “born digital” and must be managed as an electronic record. Yet, New York is unprepared to deal with this digital world. Without a systematic and well financed electronic records program, New York risks losing its digital heritage.
The problem is so vast that it cannot be solved by the Archives alone. It requires the Executive and the Legislature acknowledge the need, identify solutions and provide the necessary resources to carry them out. It requires that key government agencies develop partnerships to tackle the issues. To this end, the Archives has developed a positive relationship with the Office of the Chief Information Officer/Office for Technology (CIO/OFT). Our two organizations meet frequently to discuss electronic records issues, especially the use of open formats (those for which the code is open to all) in state agencies. Two years ago, the CIO/OFT and the Archives collaborated on a report: A Strategy for Openness: Enhancing E-Records Access in New York State. This report, which made recommendations for dealing with the electronic records problem in New York State government, was delivered to the Governor and both leaders of the Legislature in May 2008. The Assembly Government Operations Committee, chaired by Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito, will take up its recommendations this spring.