Records and Information Management Month: Tips and Guidelines

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April is Records and Information Management Month. This April may look and feel very different than what Records Management professionals are used to. Many of us are currently working remotely and there is no better time than now to ensure good record keeping and best practices in your workplace. Here are some things to consider that can promote efficient and effective electronic record keeping in your organization during this time.

  • Are people in your organization working from home? Do they know their responsibility regarding managing electronic records? This month would be a great time to review your organization’s shared drive management and electronic records management policies and procedures.
  • Is your organization using text messaging to document business activities? Check out ERC’s Tips for Text Messaging Retention for best practices and risks/liabilities of using text messages for government business.
  • Have you been communicating more than ever through email? Review our Guidelines for Managing Email to ensure your organization is retaining emails effectively.
  • Is your organization communicating and posting via social media to interact with constituents? Check out ERC’s  Social Media Resources, including the new online training module, Social Media: The Records Management Challenge (2020) .  

Free Online Social Media Training Still Available!

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If you are looking for training that can be completed remotely, the OhioERC still has spots available for its free online training module Social Media: The Records Management Challenge.  This training delves into topics such as:    

  • Government use of social media – through both public and personal accounts
  • Capture, management and disposition factors of records created on social media
  • Citizen interaction with government through social media

This training is geared toward governments that have social media accounts as well as elected officials and public employees who may find themselves balancing a personal social media presence with their public roles.  This is a great resource to have Human Resources bookmark and make available to newly hired staff or newly elected officials.  It is especially important for department heads and those in elected offices to be aware of the issues brought up in the training.

The training registration can be found at http://go.osu.edu/ohioerc-socialmedia. After registering, you will be taken to BuckeyeLearn to access the training.  The training will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes.  Upon completion of the training, you will be able to print a certificate of completion from BuckeyeLearn. 

Grant funding from the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB), through the National Historical Publication and Records Commission (NHPRC), has provided for up to 2000 unique registrations.  Since the number is limited, act fast to take this online training! Please share this exciting opportunity with others that you feel would benefit from the training.

New Tip Sheet on Text Messaging Retention Available!

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The Ohio Electronic Records Committee (OhioERC) has published a new tip sheet: Tips for Text Messaging Retention! These tips highlight the potential records management concerns public offices and officials should consider when using text messaging for government business. The tip sheet includes questions that can help determine if the text is a public record, the risks and liabilities involved with texting, best practices for government offices to implement, and the pros and cons of allowing employees to text on their personal devices versus providing them with government-issued devices. If your government office uses text messaging then you should check this out!