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Subj: |
Draft UNESCO RESOLUTION
on DIGITAL PRESERVATION |
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Date: |
7/25/01 9:57:20 PM Eastern
Daylight Time |
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From: |
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To: |
hartsm@state.gov (Shirley
M. Hart), john.carlin@arch1.nara.gov |
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CC: |
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File: |
unesco-resolution-july2001.doc (48128 bytes) DL Time (115200 bps): < 1 minute |
Dear Ms. Hart (I understand that you are
the US Observer to UNESCO) and Mr. Carlin: As one American who is very
much dedicated to the preservation of important documentation, and digital
documentation in particular because it is so much more vulnerable to loss than
our heritage paper documents which have received the greatest attention, I am
writing to urge that you do what you can, even as an Observer, and John Carlin
as Archivist of the US, to promote the acceptance of a resolution that is
planned to be tabled at the upcoming UNESCO conference in Paris on October
15th. I am referring to the Draft UNESCO RESOLUTION on DIGITAL PRESERVATION, a
copy of which is attached.
John Carlin has made preservation of digital records a major priority for the
National Archives and Records Administration during his years as Archivist.
He can speak quite well for himself on this matter, and may have already;
but, although though we haven't spoken on this subject, I feel confident that
he will also support this position.
Even more so than our Federal Government agencies, the United Nations
organizations (and even some of its Specialized Agencies) are typically grossly
under-budgeted to carry out needed digital preservation activities. I
know this from personal experience consulting to several UN organizations
including IFIs and other international organizations such as OECD and the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Principal
among the very few exceptions that I am aware of is the World Bank. I'm
particularly aware of that specialized agency of the UN, because I completed a
career in information services including archives and records management in
1992. Because the Bank management took a strong interest in this matter as
early as 1987, it has moved (I believe considerably) further ahead in capturing
and preserving digital records than other UN organizations. I am aware
that the IMF is about to launch a project aimed in the same direction.
In 1988-89, as chief of information services at the Bank, I led a UN
interagency, interdisciplinary technical panel on electronic records that
produced a UN ACCIS report (Managing Electronic Records: Issues and Guidelines)
that was published in 1990. While this helped greatly to elevate
awareness of then emerging electronic records issues and strategies,
implementation has continued over the years to be a serious problem largely
because of budgetary limitations. As we all know now, what were emerging
issues regarding digital heritage documents are now yesterday's issues that
most organizations are struggling to grasp before they get more out of hand than
they already are. Later as a consultant, I assisted UN Headquarters in
developing plans for an RFP for a digital archives to address these very
problems. While some progress has been made since then, especially in the
Office of the Secretary General, it has been too little and too late in my
opinion.
The old bromide that "well, we can just make paper copies of everything
and keep it the old fashioned way," as I think Mr. Carlin will testify,
just isn't working any more. As the volume of digital records increases
logarithmically, the corresponding incidence of digital-only documentation
(such as most email) and the increasing use of multimedia documentation as
often the only or major source of decisionmaking support (such as slide
presentations with embedded objects), we simply don't have nor could we
realistically justify the staff it would take to evaluate such records; and
increasingly they do not lend themselves to "printing out" anyway.
With the increasingly important role of the UN in peacekeeping, in staving off
international health disasters, in its International Court of Justice cases dealing with human
rights, as well as the role of the IFIs in helping to promote development and
reduce poverty, to mention a few examples, we should not lose an opportunity to
support a resolution as important as the digital preservation resolution. Thus,
much international heritage of which the US is an important part, as the moving
force for the creation of the UN, is at risk of being lost forever. While
the US has a mandate, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA - Pub. L.
105-277) requires that by 2003, when practicable, Federal agencies use
electronic forms, electronic filing, and electronic signatures to conduct
official business with the public. The UK Keeper of Records, whom I also
include in my client list, has a similar mandate to be carried out by 2004.
Other countries have or are working on similar programs. However, to the best
of my knowledge, the UN family has no such mandate or program and is in
increasing danger of falling so far behind it will be difficult to ever catch
up.
I realize that the US Government's position with respect to UN funding in
general, and UNESCO operations in particular, make it awkward for us to take
much of a leadership role in Paris. Nonetheless, I would hope that this
resolution would rise above political considerations and be strongly supported
by the US. I urge that you, Ms. Hart, with the assistance of Mr. Carlin, do
whatever you can to elevate the importance of this issue within our own
Administration and to persuade voting members of UNESCO to support this
resolution and the followup funding for what it stands for.
Sincerely,
Richard E. Barry
www.rbarry.com