Executive Summary

In 1991, the University Librarian established the University Archives Advisory Committee to make recommendations about the future development of its institutional archival program. The Committee reviewed the reports of the University Archivist and met regularly to discuss the problems which have prevented the University Archives from acquiring, preserving and providing access to the institution's permanently valuable records. Committee members determined that these concerns would be most effectively addressed within the broader framework of the general management of recorded information at the University. The magnitude of the records management problems were made clear during two public information sessions to which representatives of the larger administrative units were invited.

The University Archives Advisory Committee has offered the following recommendations to ensure the preservation of those permanently valuable records which reflect accurately the development of the institution. Moreover, such measures when implemented will promote the effective and efficient management of information at the University of British Columbia.

1. That as a first step toward proper care and treatment of its administrative records, the University adopt an official policy passed by the Board of Governors. This policy would indicate that records generated through the administrative activities of the University are the property of the institution and may not be destroyed without appropriate approval. Further the task of identifying and preserving permanently valuable records is the responsibility of each record creating unit on campus.
   
   In order to implement these proposals the Committee further recommends:
   
   That a Records Disposition Committee to approve requests for the disposition of significant quantities of records be established; and,
   That the University Library establish a two-and-one-half to three-year pilot project to support the position of records management coordinator who will provide technical expertise to offices seeking to establish file classification systems and records schedules; and,
   That the University Library fund a comprehensive survey of records on the U.B.C. campus in the summer of 1992.
   
   
2. That the University Archivist continue to work with the University Archives Advisory Committee to make recommendations to the University Librarian regarding the appropriate level of professional staff to arrange, describe and provide access to materials in the University Archives.
   
   
3. That in light of increasing pressure on storage space for records across campus the University Library prepare a proposal for providing facilities for centralized storage of records.
   
   
4. That the University Archives develop a comprehensive policy for acquiring material that falls outside of a records management program. This would include the private papers and research collections of faculty members and administrators as well as the records of affiliated organizations.
   
   
5. That the administrative reporting structure of the University Archives be improved within the Library to reflect its campus-wide operation.
   
   
6. That based on the far-reaching activities of the University Archives program that the University Archives Advisory Committee continue to function in an advisory capacity and that this committee meet four times a year to review the activities of the Archives and advise the University Librarian as to resources required for the operation of the University Archives.

Introduction

In response to reports written by the University Archivist in 1989/90 which outlined the difficulties confronting the archival program, a University Archives Advisory Committee was established. The Committee's mandate was to "review and make recommendations for University approved archival policies at U.B.C." with a focus on developing a policy statement, determining appropriate levels of resource and determining the best reporting structure for the program. The Committee dealt with these issues in its first report "A Proposal for a University Archives/Information Management Program" (see Appendix 1).

The Committee recognized the importance of introducing a coordinated records management program to the campus as a first step in systematically managing the institution's records. In keeping with the coordinated, decentralized model of the institution itself, the Committee has developed a similar model for the records management program. This plan involves cooperation amongst campus records-creating units and will see them accept a collective responsibility for supporting the records management program in the future. This model was first discussed by Committee members who themselves represent a broad spectrum of campus interests. The proposal again received strong support when discussed at two information sessions to which representatives of the Dean's offices and larger service units were invited.

Discussion & Background of Recommendations

1. Policy Statement

One of the most significant resources available to the University is information generated or accumulated as the institution carries out its academic mission with its associated administrative, legal and fiscal activities. Like any other resource these records (regardless of format or medium) cost money to create, use, store and destroy. Unfortunately, the University's increasingly decentralized structure has not encouraged the development of any coordinated management of its recorded information. In the absence of general institutional guidelines governing University records, hundreds of academic and administrative units have been forced to deal with their own records in isolation with little understanding of what is happening elsewhere on campus. This has given rise to numerous idiosyncratic systems for records keeping which usually results in far too many or too few records being retained. Invariably, valuable information about the past operation of the University is lost forever or valuable storage space is taken up with material of questionable value.

To address this problem the University Archives Advisory Committee has recommended that the institution adopt an official policy governing its recorded information. This would apply to those records generated by all units in the conduct of the administrative activities of the University but would not extend to private papers such as professors' lecture notes, research material, correspondence and like material. This material will be dealt with separately in Recommendation #4.

The adoption of such a policy is a necessary step in providing a framework within which to manage effectively and efficiently the University's recorded information. This will ultimately include the provision of guidelines governing the disposition of records regardless of format or medium. The policy should consider the production and disposition of records from a campus-wide perspective.

In order to establish firmly the ultimate ownership over the said materials and assign responsibility for their management the University Archives Advisory Committee recommends that the following policy be considered by the Board of Governors.

That all records generated through the administrative activities of the University are the property of the institution and may not be destroyed without appropriate approval. Further, the task of identifying and preserving permanently valuable records is the responsibility of each record creating unit on campus. The University Archives will serve as the repository for the institution's permanently valuable records.

Having clearly assigned the responsibility for identifying and preserving permanently valuable records to the office of creation, the University Library must provide the infrastructure and support services necessary to assist in this task.

The discussion at the information sessions made clear the idea that we must begin to develop some collective guidelines to manage our recorded information. Without such guidelines we run the very real risk of losing permanently valuable records or wasting storage space in maintaining routine administrative material that has fulfilled its original purpose. In order to implement a new records program at the University which provides such guidelines, the Committee has three recommendations. These include:

1. 1) Establish a University Records Disposition Committee
   
   
2. 2) Create a three-year pilot project to support the position of records management coordinator
   
   
3. 3) Conduct a comprehensive campus records survey

University Records Disposition Committee:

As a first step toward the systematic destruction of institutional records which have fulfilled their original administrative requirements while at the same time ensuring the preservation of permanently valuable records the Committee recommends the establishment of a University Records Disposition Committee. The sole responsibility for determining what records might safely be destroyed would be removed from individual records creating units and for the first time they would receive some outside assistance in determining what particular records have enduring value to the institution as a whole would be made available.

The Committee would consist of individuals with expertise in the academic, administrative, legal and fiscal activities of the institution and other individuals as appropriate. In addition, the University Archivist would sit as an ex officio member.

The Committee will:

1. Advise the University Librarian on all matters pertaining to management of the institution's recorded information;
2. Consider and approve all requests for records disposal submitted by records creating units;
3. Provide general guidelines for the retention of University records;
4. Encourage the development and implementation of records schedules so that as time goes on the number of ad hoc requests coming before the Committee would decrease.

Managing from the 'back-end' or disposition stage of the life cycle of records is not an ideal situation. It is very much a reactive approach that provides very little toward the effective management of information. It is intended only as a stop-gap measure which will ensure that permanently valuable records are not destroyed while permitting and even encouraging the disposal of all routine material once it has fulfilled its original function. Ideally, the activities of the Committee will be superseded with the introduction of records schedules.

Records Management Coordinator

While the Disposition Committee might be expected to provide approval for requests to destroy material it is also necessary to institute programs that ensure the systematic and effective management of records. This requires the institution of a coordinated records management program at the University.

The problem of managing recorded information at the University has become sufficiently acute that a number of units have hired off-campus records management consultants to develop filing systems and devise records schedules. The use of such consultants is not only costly but inefficient in that these individuals require a significant period of time to get oriented to the University environment. In addition, project time constraints offer them little opportunity to appreciate fully the relationship between the unit's records and the University's records system as a whole. Consequently, there is something of a records system myopia.

It became clear during the public information meetings that the participants had encountered many common problems including the selection of records for permanent preservation, storage and transferring information to microform. In addition, those responsible for unit records expressed concern that they were forced to deal with their records in isolation without benefit of guidelines from the Library. To date each records creating unit has confronted these problems independently and significant time and resources have been squandered 'reinventing the wheel'. Those attending the information sessions (see Appendix 3) advocated strongly the need to develop cost-effective, on- campus expertise in the area of records management.

Recognizing the importance of developing a records management program for the University, the Committee has recommended that the University Library hire a Records Management Coordinator as part of a two-and-one-half to three year pilot project. Working under the direction of the University Archivist this individual would develop preliminary guidelines for appraising records, devise and supervise a comprehensive records survey, develop general records schedules and provide advice to records creating units.

The Committee proposes that the responsibility for funding the position of Records Management Coordinator will ultimately rest with the records creating units themselves and they have expressed support for the idea that they be 'taxed' a nominal amount so they can utilize the service. Given the importance of the task at hand and the need to get the project under way the Committee proposes that the University Library provide funding for the first two-and-one-half to three years of development. The expenditure is anticipated to be approximately $40,000 per year. During this period the Records Management Coordinator will engage in the above-mentioned activities.

Comprehensive Records Survey

As a preliminary step in developing an information management system for campus we must have a clear idea of what records are being generated. A survey similar to one conducted in 1983 should be carried out. It will not only give us a clear indication of the total universe of records at the University but will also yield information about the amount of space which is currently used for records storage. The material identified as permanently valuable could be transferred immediately to the University Archives. We anticipate the cost of this project to be approximately $12,500.

2. Staffing

While the development of a policy statement governing University records and the implementation of records management on campus are the most important components in an improved archival program, they will do nothing to alleviate what has previously been identified as insufficient staff in the University Archives (See Appendix 2). A 1989 survey of Canadian university archives revealed that although U.B.C. ranked fifth out of thirteen responding institutions in holdings it ranked last in staff. Consequently, the Committee has recommended that the University Library consider the expansion of the University Archives' professional staff as a priority.

3. Space Shortage

One of the many concerns articulated at the public information sessions was a shortage of space for records storage. Many participants indicated that they stored their records in whatever space was available to them regardless of how ill-suited it might be for the purpose. Records stored under such circumstances are not conducive to easy information retrieval. In addition, these records are prone to periodic purges as storage space becomes full. There has been a tendency simply to destroy all of the older records because it is easier than sorting the material. Some units are currently paying for off-site commercial storage to alleviate the space problem.

Inasmuch as the storage space shortage is a common problem it would be expedient to develop a campus-wide solution. The Library should consider providing a records centre on campus where units could store both semi-active and inactive records until the time for final disposition. This would rationalize campus records storage and free up valuable space.

4. Expanding Personal Papers/Private Records Program

In addition to those records which document the institutional/administrative development of the University, the Archives must also concern itself with the collection of the materials which reflect the 'human' side of the University of British Columbia. Without people our institution is little more than a cluster of buildings on the picturesque tip of Point Grey. Consequently, the Archives must develop a program for identifying those outstanding scholars who have made a significant impact in their academic field as well as those individuals whose papers document the development of the University. There is a particular urgency in this task as demographics indicate that a large number of professors with long U.B.C. associations will soon retire and if we do not move quickly their records will disappear.

This effort will also extend to the collection of records which fall outside of a records management program. Such records might well include material from the Alumni Association, Alma Mater Society, and the Vancouver Institute just to name a few. The acquisition of these non- institutional records places the experience of the University within a much broader context and may usefully augment the official administrative records as well as the material collected from individuals.

Again the problems with identifying significant individuals, developing contacts, and ultimately processing the material is impossible in the absence of adequate professional staff for the University Archives.

5. Reporting Structure of the University Archives

One of the most important issues for any archival repository is that of placement within the institution's organizational structure. This placement can either enhance or hinder its ability to fulfil its mission. According to a 1989 report the U.B.C. University Archives suffers from one of the worst reporting structures of all universities surveyed. In as much as the placement of a repository within its parent organization is crucial to its ultimate success, the Committee strongly recommends that the University Archivist report directly to the University Librarian.

6. Continued Role of the University Archives Advisory Committee

The Committee recommends that the University Archives Advisory Committee continue in its capacity as a support organization for the University Archives. The Committee serves as a sounding board for ideas, provides insights into the operation of the University, and offers a ready- made communication network. The Committee should continue to monitor the activities and accomplishments of the University Archives and should also make recommendations to the University Librarian concerning the program.

Conclusion

The holdings of the University Archives constitute a very special and unique resource for the University of British Columbia. The Archives is not a collection of dusty, long-forgotten, obsolete records, but rather its holdings represent the embodiment of the past activities of the institution itself. Under the care of the University Archives should come all of those records determined to have permanent value in documenting developments both within the institution as well as the contributions of the University to society at large. U.B.C.'s past is one in which we can all take great pride and every effort should be made to ensure that the documents that chronical its history are identified and preserved for posterity.

The focus of any good archival program must also include concern for those records being generated currently. It is only through the effective and efficient management of recorded information on campus that we can ensure that the records of permanent value are transferred systematically tothe University Archives. In this manner the legacy of the University of British Columbia will be preserved and become an important resource both for current and future users seeking information about the operation of institution.

Back to the UARMAC Minutes of 30 September 1992