Reinventing appraisal

  • Kate Cumming
  • Anne Picot
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01576895.2014.926824
Keywords: appraisal, archives, continuum, information, reinvention

Abstract

In 1986 David Bearman first put the argument that core archival methods of appraisal, description, preservation and access were fundamentally unable to cope with the volumes of records archivists were required to process. He called on the archival profession to completely reinvent its core methods. Noting similar challenges for archival methods in evolving digital business environments, this paper explores how the archival method of appraisal could be reinvented.

Author Biographies

Kate Cumming

Kate Cumming is a member of the Digital Strategy team at State Records NSW. Kate holds a PhD in Information Management and Systems from Monash University. She is a co-founder of the recordkeeping and archives discussion group the Recordkeeping Roundtable and regularly blogs on records and information management issues at http://futureproof.records.nsw.gov.au In 2012, the Digital Strategy team Kate is part of was shortlisted for the Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia’s J Eddis Linton Award for Most Outstanding Team.

Anne Picot

Anne Picot is the Deputy University Archivist at the University of Sydney responsible for oversight of disposal. She is also one of the University’s Right to Information and Privacy officers as the unit (Archives & Records Management Services) is responsible for compliance with the NSW Government Information (Public Access) Act and the NSW privacy legislation. She worked as an archivist in all three levels of government – Commonwealth, local and State – specialising in current records before joining the University of Sydney Archives in 2002. She is a member of Standards Australia’s Records Management committee, IT-021 and a delegate to the International Standards Organisation’s sub-committee for records management (TC46 SC 11), for the areas of the Management System for Records Standards, and risk assessment for recordkeeping. She is a founding member of Sydney’s Recordkeeping Roundtable. She is an active member of the National Tertiary Education Union.

Published
2014-07-30
How to Cite
Cumming K. and Picot A. (2014) “Reinventing appraisal”, Archives & Manuscripts, 42(2), pp. 133-145. doi: 10.1080/01576895.2014.926824.
Issue
Vol 42 No 2 (2014): Special Issue: Reinventing Archival Methods
Section
Articles

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