Basic Records Management Concepts

1. Basic RecordsManagement Concepts OT 122 Chapter One

2. Intro • We’ll use this book for the 1st half of quarter • Blue cardboard box and ‘Retrieval Exercises’ • Don’t work ahead  • So little homework  • Access 2nd half of quarter • Please be computer…literate…? • Know how to open, save, new, etc.

3. Why is Records Management Important? • MONEY!!! • Things may be lost • Require time (money) to be found or redone • Legally required • Medical, education, government (taxes, birth and death certificates) • All businesses use some sort of records management!! • Even if customers aren’t tracked, then suppliers?

4. The Cycle of Records Management • “Life” cycle of a record • Creation • Use • Storage • Retrieval • Disposition • Can vary depending on the type of record • Legally required? • How/why created? • How received? • What form?

5. Impact of Technologyon Records Management • Umm…DUH! • Less paper • Cheaper • Faster • Easier • Safer (more secure) • Can see who’s been looking at what

6. ARMA.org • Originally stood for Association of Records Managers and Administrators • Professional organization • Ok to look at, but really nothing but a sales pitch… • Register for certifications, online courses • Subscribe to journals • Purchase other related materials

7. Would you like a careerin Records Management? • LOTS of options • Successful candidate qualities? • Database literate • Trustworthy with sensitive information • Ability to delegate • You probably won’t be able to do EVERYTHING in the cycle! • Ability to determine what needs to be handled

8. Records Management Vocabulary • Accession log • List of code numbers assigned to each record that shows the next available code number in a numeric filing system • Aka accession book OR…number list. • Bar code • Do you really need this definition?! • Unique pattern of printed vertical lines and spaces containing information that is read electronically

9. Records Management Vocabulary • CD and DVD, -R, -ROM, -RW, and WORM • Compact disc and Digital Versatile discs • BOTH defined as ‘optical discs’ • R = Recordable • Record once, replay infinitely • Same as a WORM • Write Once, Read Many • ROM = Read Only Memory • Pre-recorded • RW = Rewritable • Can record and then record over

10. Records Management Vocabulary • Charge out & follow up • Procedure for fulfilling requests to borrow records (charge out) and for making sure that records are returned on time and refiled correctly (follow up) • Coding • Marking the units in the name or subject under which a record will be filed • Correspondence • Incoming AND outgoing communication in written form • Snail mail, email, faxes, etc.

11. Records Management Vocabulary • Cross-reference • Hopefully another ‘duh’ • An entry directing attention to another related heading. • Directs a person to look elsewhere for a record or more information • Database • File of related records all of which should share the same fields • Completed customer app will have name, address, social and DOB, etc.

12. Records Management Vocabulary • Digital record • Created by a computer system • E-mail • Electronic mail • Incoming and outgoing messages sent electronically by way of computer networks • Fax • Facsimile • Machine that scans a document and converts it to electronic signals to send, and converts the signals and prints a copy to receive

13. Records Management Vocabulary • Field • A position set aside for a specific type (piece) of information • Name, address, phone number, etc.

14. Records Management Vocabulary • File • A collection of related records arranged in a systematic way and stored either manually or electronically • Ex. A patient’s medical history with a particular doctor • All visits for that patient (‘related records’) are stored in the same file (systematic by customer name), probably in order of date of visit • Filing • Arranging records into predetermined sequences • Alphabetic • Numeric • Subject • Date

15. Records Management Vocabulary • Filing indexing unit • A number, letter, or word (or any combo) used as part of the filing segment • Filing segment • The entire name, subject, or number used for filing purposes • Guide • Divider with a captioned tab that is used to separate and identify sections in a file to facilitate retrieval of records

16. Records Management Vocabulary • Indexing • Selecting the filing segment under which to store a record and determining the order in which the units should be considered • Proper names or business names with several words • Information • Data that are contained in records and that are meaningful or useful • Data is the raw, information is processed

17. Records Management Vocabulary • Microimage records • Records that are photographed in reduced sizes and stored on microfilm or microfiche. • OCR • Optical Character Recognition • The process of scanning printed characters or photos and converting them to digital format • Like a fax machine without sending; just stores the information

18. Records Management Vocabulary • Records • All materials preserved for future reference • Records manager • Person responsible for controlling the cycle of an organization’s records, as well as the maintenance, protection, and preservation • Cycle? • Creation, use, storage, retrieval, disposition

19. Records Management Vocabulary • Records retention & disposition schedule • List of types of records that indicates for each type how long it is to be maintained and when it may be destroyed • Release mark • Symbol placed on a record, usually in the form of initials, a code, or a stamp, indicating that the record is ready to be filed