Digital Records Initiative (DRI) Overview
- What is the Digital Records Initiative?
- Why do we need a Digital Records Initiative?
- What is State Records Office's digital records vision?
- Who else is involved with the Digital Records Initiative?
- How can I find out more about the Digital Records Initiative?
What is the Digital Records Initiative (DRI)?
The Digital Records Initiative (DRI) is a new initiative of the State Records Office (SRO), State Records Commission (SRC) and Minister of Culture and the Arts aimed at promoting good practice digital recordkeeping in WA Government agencies and providing an e-permanence pathway for the increasing volume of State Archives that are being created in electronic form. Over time the initiative will result in transformation of the services provided by State Records Office. Important cornerstones of this transformation will be improved community access to State Archives and alignment of State Records Office services with the Government’s E-Government agenda.
Why do we need a Digital Records Initiative?
The propensity for Government to build information systems based on computers and computer networks poses a formidable challenge to agencies charged with custodianship of the State’s memory. The knowledge and tools required to manage digital memory for persistence are very different from traditional records. Digital records exist on fragile media and cannot be seen. Combinations of hardware and software are required for digital records to be understood. As hardware and software become obsolete, the essential conditions for intelligibility may no longer be satisfied resulting in loss of digital memory.
As a foundation member of the Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative (ADRI), the State Records Office contributes to tackling the problem of effective digital records management in concert with other Australian and New Zealand archives. The State Records Office is responsible for regulating government recordkeeping and the management of State Archives, regardless of whether they are in traditional hard copy format, or in electronic format. Management of electronic records, such as emails, databases, images and documents currently presents many challenges for the vast majority of government organizations across all Australian jurisdictions.
What is State Records Office’s digital records vision?
The digital records vision is a citizen centric view of services transformation at State Records Office. The cornerstones of this vision are:
- digital recordkeeping governance that provides citizens with assurance that electronic records will be available to meet accountability and business requirements;
- evolution of the access revolution that began with the AEON online system to include electronic reproductions of important constitutional records and other iconic archives that form the archival patrimony of the people of Western Australia;
- new communications channels that inspire new creative possibilities for education and community engagement with Government as digital archives become available over the Internet.
Who else is involved with the DRI?
A Digital Records Working Group (DRWG) has been established to provide agency and community input to the work of the DRI. Regular reports on the work of the DRI are supplied to the Minister and to the State Records Commission. Through the Australasian Digital Recordkeeping Initiative (ADRI) work of the DRI is communicated to the national community of archival institutions.
How can I find out more about the Digital Records Initiative (DRI)?
Acrobat (pdf) copy of presentations given by the Coordinator of the DRI are available for download:
Further information about the Digital Records Initiative is available from the Manager, Archives Control and Access, Leigh Hays.
