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Municipal records keeping in British Columbia : an exploratory survey

University of British Columbia

An exploratory investigation of records keeping practices among villages, towns, districts and cities in British Columbia was conducted to determine how municipalities are currently managing their records. Drawing from literature on records management theory and practice, a model of a records keeping system was developed based on the premise that records pass through a series or continuum of identifiable stages from the moment of their creation to their final disposition. A questionnaire constructed around key elements of the model was distributed by mail to a nonrandom sample of one hundred and forty-four municipalities. Data was acquired on the three general fields of activity considered integral to managing records, namely: records generation and receipt, records classification, and records maintenance. Among the key findings of the survey were a lack of standardized files classification systems, records retention schedules, and records procedures manuals which are identified in records management literature as the core elements of any records keeping system. Based on a response rate of 81% (116/144), it is concluded that among those villages, towns, districts and cities surveyed, most do not have adequate records keeping systems to effectively serve their information needs.

Text

2010-09-24

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28672

Archival Studies

University of British Columbia

Graduate