A Study on Operation and Improvement of National Records Designation System
This study is on operation and improvements on National Records Designation System. The main aim of this study is to understand current status of management since 2007, whe...
A Study on Operation and Improvement of National Records Designation System
This study is on operation and improvements on National Records Designation System. The main aim of this study is to understand current status of management since 2007, when this system started, and suggest improvements on it.
National Records Designation System is a system that supports management and preservation of changes of records designated by the government through consideration that such records are worth preserving permanently nationally among records acquired by individual or organization. This system is meaningful in a way that it established systematic foundation to hand down by informatizing historic private records which are in danger to be lost or damaged due to lack of proper care. From 2008 Yu-Jin-Oh's first constitution draft to 2014, total number of 11 National Designated Records were selected. Also, more plans to designate is on their process.
However, compared to the number of designated records, the information that could be practically drawn from such records are limited. This triggered this study to be launched. National Archive sometimes promotes designation and management of National Designated records. Yet archival information service offering access of user to national designated records are very rare. National Archive presents link connected to records holding institution homepage. I checked how much information I can get from this page, but except for few records holding institutions, most of the records holding institution doesn't even show if they are keeping national designated records or not. I couldn't but to question how informatization is processing besides designation and management.
I conducted survey and interview of managers, field research, and documentary research of 10 records holding institution that keeps national designated records currently. I considered that current management status of National Records Designation System can be figured out minutely through these research. As a result of such research, most of the records holding institutions offered display as their least archival information service. The objective of records informatization was to utilize the records. Also further plans on information service related to records and various utilization were suggested. records holding institution manager did not give positive answer on effect of designating national designated records and cooperation between National Archive. Support to National Archive only focused on preservation. For national designated records holding institution designated after 2011 were not getting proper support. In addition, National Archive's support rarely met records holding institution's need. In such circumstances, things to consider for improvements of National Records Designation System is as following.
First, National Records Designation System should be professionlaized. Even if it has noble objectives, if this work is carried by only one manager who already has enough work from other project, it is doubtable on how to manage the records to be designated and to operate records holding institutions.
Second, designation of national designated records should be based on the utilization of the record. Each records holding institution's willingness to utilize corresponding records and National Archive's ability to draw the willingness out should be considered. Also, it shouldn't be left as mere complementary policy of National Archive's selecting policy.
Third, for National Records Designation System to be managed permanently, it should be changed as the system that supports enhancement of private records management. The aim should point to the direction where private can manage and preserve the records on their own.
Fourth, flat form for archival information service is needed. Most of the records holding institution tries to promote its records to the public, but there aren't many methods to do so. Currently, leading public to access to national designated records is most needed. In this paper, Google Culture Institute is presented as an example.
Fifth, There needs to be changes on the subject and process of national designated records designation. National designated record is the record that was considered valuable by the government among private records. Thus, such records should be the best one to show private field. Accordingly, records that represent contemporary society and include various states and contents should be chosen to be designated. Moreover, public discussion be formed by citizens and related professionals in order to properly select the record.