Overview

This dynamic book considers whether and how the management of records (and archives) differs from the management of information (and data). Can archives and records management still make a distinctive contribution in the 21st century, or are they now being dissolved into a wider world of information governance? What should be our conceptual understanding of records in the digital era? What are the practical implications of the information revolution for the work of archivists and records managers? Geoffrey Yeo, a distinguished expert in the global field, explores concepts of 'records' and 'archives' and sets today's record-keeping and archival practices in their historical context. He examines changing perceptions of the nature and purpose of records management and archival work, notions of convergence among information-related disciplines, and archivists' and records managers' attitudes to information and its governance. Starting with Peter Morville's dictum that 'when we try to define information, we become lost in a hall of mirrors', Yeo considers different understandings of the concept of 'information' and their applicability to the field of archives and records management. He also looks at the world of data science and data administration, and asks whether and how far recent work in this area can enhance our knowledge of how records function and how they relate to the information universe. Key topics covered include: The keeping of records: a brief historical overview Thinking about records and archives: the transition to the digital Archivists, records managers and the allure of information Finding a way through the hall of mirrors: concepts of information Records and data Why records are not (just) information; understanding records in the digital era. This thought provoking and timely book is primarily intended for records managers and archivists, but should also be of interest to professionals in a range of information-related disciplines. In addressing the place of record-keeping in contemporary information culture, it aims to provide a balance of theory and practice that will appeal to practitioners as well as students and academics around the world.

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9781783302284

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Yeo argues that ... dilution of records and archives into the surging ocean of information (and its accompanying data deluge) is unwarranted. ... Borrowing from the theory of speech acts developed by John Austin and John Searle, Yeo characterizes records as performative: they help us do a variety of things. Records are actions by other means, as much instruments as they are representations. ... Yeo's book provides a lucid argument for the need for records managers and archivists to resist the song of the information sirens. Philosophically grounded and analytically clear, Records, Information and Data offers a view of records capable of acting as the foundation for a renewed archival discipline for the twenty-first century.'- Juan Ilerbaig, University of Toronto, American Archivist -- The American Archivist * American Archivist * 'Yeo crafts a comprehensive guide to record management in the modern digital and data-driven world, focusing on record-keeping practices ... and how they are changing...Records, Information and Data is the product of extensive research: each chapter includes endnotes and references. Recommended for undergraduates and graduate students interested in records or information management.' - K. J. Whitehair, independent scholar, CHOICE * CHOICE *

Firmly grounded in the history of record-making and record-keeping over 10,000 years, Yeo's book argues that the prevalent discourse which equates records simply with information or data is wrong. His innovative analysis of the performativity of records results in a fascinating new conceptual and practical understanding of the roles of records and archives in social action. Professionals in handling records, information and data, as well as users of records and archives and everyone interested in `the archive', will gain from this perceptive and highly readable book a new comprehension of past, present and future information cultures. -- Eric Ketelaar Yeo's searching examination of claims that archivists and records managers must reinvent themselves and their discipline for an information age draws on an impressive reading and analysis of a wide range of literature. Everyone in the records field or aspiring to enter it should read this book and ponder its many cogent arguments. -- Terry Eastwood

Author Information

Geoffrey Yeo is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Information Studies at University College London. His previous work for Facet includes Managing Records: A handbook of principles and practice (with Elizabeth Shepherd, 2003), and Managing Records in Global Financial Markets (with Lynn Coleman, Victoria Lemieux and Rod Stone, 2011).

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