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Electronic Records Questions:


Q. How can I tell if my information system is a recordkeeping system?
The difference between an information system and a recordkeeping system is determined by how the system is used. Government agencies create records as required by law or to document official business transactions. A recordkeeping system is used to provide a record of business transactions that maintains the proper documentary context. Therefore, an information system becomes a recordkeeping system when some or all of it is used to document the origins, functions, activities, or history of your agency. For more information on electronic recordkeeping see the electronic records guidelines, particularly "Records Management in an Electronic Environment".

Q. What is metadata and why is it important?
Metadata can be simply defined as "data about data." More specifically, metadata consist of a standardized, structured format and controlled vocabulary which allow for the precise description of record content, location, and value. Each record is permanently associated with its metadata that include information such as file type, file name, creator name, date of creation, and the record’s classification. Metadata are crucial to any digital imaging project, enabling proper data creation, storage, retrieval, use, modification, and retention of your digitized records. In addition, proper metadata help document the trustworthiness of your system, assuring the legal admissibility of your digitized records in court.

For digital images, metadata are especially important in facilitating retrieval. Unless you plan to use Optical Character Recognition (OCR), all of your records will be stored as graphic files. The only way to locate specific information will be through its metadata. Metadata make it possible to locate, use, and evaluate information through standard search criteria such as subject heading, numerical identifier, or keyword. For this to work effectively, you will have to identify the terms your employees or customers use to search for records. For a brief description of the universally applied Dublin Core metadata set see the electronic records guideline, "web content management".

To review a metadata set designed specifically for recordkeeping, see the metadata section of the "Trustworthy Information Systems Handbook" .

Q. Has the Archives accessioned any Electronic Records and how are they made available to the public?
Yes. We presently have:

  • Admission/Discharge records from the SC Department of Corrections for the years 1987-1994.
  • The automated index to Governor Beasley’s correspondence, which our Reference staff uses to locate specific correspondence
  • Governor Beasley’s Internet Homepage as it appeared just before he left office in 1999.
  • The automated indices to Governor Hodges' and Lt. Governor Peeler's correspondence have been taken in but not formerly accessioned. 
  • The websites of the Constitutional Offices were accessioned in January 2000. These electronic records can be purchased on CD or viewed free in our Reference Room.

State Agency Website Archives: Starting in 2007 the SC Archives began working with Archive-It to capture periodic snapshots of state agency websites. Archive-It is part of the Internet Archives project which is building a digital library of Internet sites. Like a paper library, it provides free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public. Archived websites of state agencies are now available on-line