Ethics, Accountability and Recordkeeping, by Richard J. Cox

 

Table of Contents

 

Introduction to the Series  Geoffrey Yeo

 

Foreword  Sarah Tyacke

 

Preface and Acknowledgements

 

Introduction.  From Ethics to Accountability, or, When Do Records Professionals Become Whistleblowers?

 

Introduction

 

The Importance of Ethics and Accountability

 

The Spark Igniting the Fire: Enron, Arthur Andersen, and Corporate Scandals

 

Government Secrecy and the Control of the Past

 

Evil and Recordkeeping

 

Owning the Past

 

The International Dimensions of This Book

 

Conclusion: Archival Whistle-blowing?

 

Chapter One. Testing the Spirit of the Information Age

 

Introduction

 

The Computer Store as the New Church for Our Information Age

 

The Information Age and the Electronic Sweatshop

 

The Information Age and the Loss of Humanity

 

The Need for Spirituality in the Information Age

 

Conclusion: Beyond What We Can See or Make

 

Chapter Two. Searching for Authority and Recognition: Archivists, Records Managers, and Electronic Records

 

Introduction

 

Archivists and the Quest for a Magic Bullet

 

The Search for Authority for Electronic Records Management in the Archival Literature

 

The Possible Fatal Flaw: Electronic Records Management and Practice

 

Records Professionals in a Brave New World

 

Simple Questions About SIM and Other New Information Management Models

 

SIM World or Real World?

 

Begin the Dialogue

 

Conclusion: Back to Work

 

Chapter Three. Why the Archivist of the United States is Important to Records Professionals and America

 

Introduction

 

The Historical Lessons of the Founding and Development of the National Archives

 

The National Archives and the Chimera of Independence

 

A New Controversy Erupts

 

A New Time, A New Set of Challenges

 

A Legacy of Problems, not a Bushwhacking

 

Different Thoughts About the Archivist

 

Conclusion

 

Chapter Four.  America’s Pyramids: Presidents and Their Libraries

 

Introduction

 

What Is the Purpose of Presidential Libraries?

 

Presidential Papers Before Presidential Libraries

 

FDR and the Origins of the Presidential Library

 

The Presidential Library System’s Evolution and The Issues of Presidential Papers

 

The Insider’s View of Presidential Libraries

 

Others’ Views on Presidential Libraries

 

Is There a Future for Presidential Libraries?

 

Summing Up: A Policy Recommendation

 

Chapter Five. The World is a Dangerous Place: Recordkeeping in the Age of Terror

 

Introduction

 

What Is Terrorism?

 

Nothing New Under the Sun

 

Media Coverage of the Gulf Wars

 

Closing Off the Documentation

 

Intelligence and the War on Terror

 

The Intelligence Boondoggle and Civil Liberties

 

Records and Their Administration in the Age of Terror

 

Do Records Professionals Need New Ethics Codes?

 

Conclusion

 

Chapter Six.  Technology, the Future of Work, and Records Professionals

 

Introduction

 

Fighting Mythology

 

Computers and Workers

 

The Power of the Historical, or Long-term, Perspective

 

Records Still Appear

 

The Challenges of the New Workplace and Its Technologies

 

Conclusion

 

Chapter Seven. Records and Truth in the Post-Truth Society

 

Introduction

 

The Post-Truth Society

 

Political Pratfalls

 

Scientific Shenanigans

 

Corporate Corruption

 

Historians’ Hiccup

 

Conclusion: Records and Truth

 

Chapter Eight. Censorship and Records

 

Introduction

 

Self-Censorship: The First Danger Sign

 

Human Rights and the Role of Records

 

Voyeurism as a Stimulant for Censorship

 

Torture and the Power of Records

 

Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here?

 

Chapter Nine.  Personal Notes: Intellectual Property, Technology, and Unfair Stories

 

Introduction

 

Two New Views

 

Power Plays

 

Societal Shenanigans

 

Information Technologies and Free Expression

 

Information Professionals as Combatants or Innocent Civilians

 

Personal Stories About Unfair Use

 

Conclusion

 

Conclusion. Archiving Archives: Rethinking and Revitalizing a Concept

 

Introduction

 

Archives as Storage

 

Archives as Static

 

Archives as Data

 

Archives as Memory

 

Archives as Social Construction

 

Archives as Personal Space

 

Archives as Technologies

 

Archives as Power

 

Archives as Creations

 

Archives as Leaks

 

Archives as Controversial

 

Archives as Targets

 

Archives as Stories

 

Archives as Old Stuff

 

Conclusion

 

References

 

Index