Return-Path: <[log in to unmask]> Received: from rly-yi04.mx.aol.com (rly-yi04.mail.aol.com [172.18.180.132]) by air-yi01.mail.aol.com (v111.7) with ESMTP id MAILINYI13-7c644e1d87435b; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:22:10 -0400 Received: from listserv.muohio.edu (listserv.muohio.edu [134.53.7.26]) by rly-yi04.mx.aol.com (v111.7) with ESMTP id MAILRELAYINYI44-7c644e1d87435b; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:21:44 -0400 Received: from nasw2k01 (listserv.muohio.edu) by listserv.muohio.edu (LSMTP for Windows NT v1.1b) with SMTP id <[log in to unmask]>; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:21:05 -0400 Received: by LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release 14.5) with spool id 50453897 for [log in to unmask]; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:19:56 -0400 Received: from mulnx12.mcs.muohio.edu by listserv.muohio.edu (LSMTP for Windows NT v1.1b) with SMTP id <[log in to unmask]>; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:19:56 -0400 Received: from mulnx24.mcs.muohio.edu (mulnx24.mcs.muohio.edu [134.53.6.11]) by mulnx12.mcs.muohio.edu (Switch-3.1.8/Switch-3.1.7) with ESMTP id k7FEJt8p028951 for <[log in to unmask]>; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:19:55 -0400 Received: from imo-d05.mx.aol.com (imo-d05.mx.aol.com [205.188.157.37]) by mulnx24.mcs.muohio.edu (Switch-3.1.8/Switch-3.1.7) with SMTP id k7FEJrUP022718 for <[log in to unmask]>; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:19:54 -0400 Received: from [log in to unmask] by imo-d05.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v38_r7.6.) id 9.bc0.31a47a5 (60477) for <[log in to unmask]>; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:19:48 -0400 (EDT) Received: from mblk-d35 (mblk-d35.mblk.aol.com [205.188.212.219]) by ciaaol-m04.mx.aol.com (v111.7) with ESMTP id MAILCIAAOLM042-ec3d44e1d80329f; Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:19:47 -0400 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-MB-Message-Source: WebUI X-MB-Message-Type: User Received: from 161.203.16.1 by mblk-d35.sysops.aol.com (205.188.212.219) with HTTP (WebMailUI); Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:19:47 -0400 X-Mailer: AOL WebMail 19144 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Spam-Flag: NO X-Real-ConnectIP: 205.188.157.37 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.57 on 134.53.6.67 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 134.53.6.11 Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2006 10:19:47 -0400 Reply-To: [log in to unmask] Sender: Archives & Archivists <[log in to unmask]> From: [log in to unmask] Subject: Ignorance about records managers, archivists, historians To: [log in to unmask] Precedence: list List-Help: <http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=ARCHIVES>, <mailto:[log in to unmask] ARCHIVES> List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> List-Subscribe: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> List-Owner: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> List-Archive: <http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=ARCHIVES> X-AOL-IP: 134.53.7.26 Here's an example of the uphill battle we face in breaking through the ignorance of many academic historians about the handling of Federal records. And who has what role in the life cycle of records. Take a look at http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/29188.html which is a blog entry by an academic on the History News Network website. He links to the Telegraph story about the loss or misplacing of the original Apollo moon landing footage. Notice the assumptions he makes: (1) that this could have been prevented had NASA had an historian and (2) that it is a "crime" and very sad that NASA has no historian. He gets all this, I suppose, from this passage in the Telegraph story: ""It's not malicious or intentional, but I think it's unfortunate that Nasa doesn't have maybe just one more person whose job it is to look back at its history." Unlike the professor, I took "history" to mean its records with long term or permanent value. Yesterday evening, I sent the blogging professor some links to NASA's History Division website, along with an explanation of the role of records managers, rather than agency historians, in managing the life cycle of records. I told him Federal records by law are governed by disposition schedules and typically are kept either at the agency or off site at Federal Records Centers. I said permanent records are accessioned into the National Archives, not retained forever by agencies such as NASA. I cited a typical records schedule, which might direct the agency to hold permanent records on site or at an FRC for 20 years, then offer them for accessioning into NARA. I explained that records officers are usually the point of contact with the National Archives. I also explained the differences between archivists and records managers. Apparently, judging from the correction he posted this morning, the professor has decided to contact NASA's history office and to find out "their relationship with the archiving of NASA's records in general." He doesn't appear to have taken my advice to use the contact information posted on NASA's records management website. You all might find this of interest, however. (I also sent these links to the professor.) See http://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/displayDir.cfm?Internal_ID=N_PR_1441_001D_&pa ge_name=main which explains what NASA's records managers do. See http://nodis3.gsfc.nasa.gov/iso_docs/doc/H_OWI_1070_I_018_Ba_.doc which refers to NASA's historical reference collection, described as including "copies" of Federal records. So there's plenty of public info out there, both for journalists and for scholars. They just don't seem to use it nearly enough. So we end up reading murky articles, which refer to scientists and engineers searching through an "archive," with no mention of records officers, the Federal Records Act, etc. (Eyeroll) (BTW, NODIS seems to mean NASA Online Directives System, rather than "no distribution.") Maarja ________________________________________________________________________ Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free. A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>