Oregon State Archives
Digital Imaging
Feasibility Study
Number 8.2
Effective: January 1994
A department should perform a feasibility study to insure that a digital
imaging application is appropriate for its information management needs
before committing to the conversion of paper records to digital images.
State universities and colleges are required to complete feasibility studies
for any information system project costing more than $30,000.
While this study is useful for determining the technological feasibility of a
project, it does not focus on the public records aspect of information
systems. The State Archives and the University Archives recommend that
public bodies perform self-studies for any information system which
proposes to convert
public records with retention periods of ten years or more to digitized images.
In addition to the Department of Administrative Services feasibility study,
all public bodies should answer the following questions with regard to
public records.
- What are the retention requirements for the original public records?
- Will the public body insure that long-term public access to public
records is not impeded by the implementation of the proposed digital
imaging system?
- Public records custodians have the responsibility to both provide
access to and copies of public records, regardless of format. Has the
proposed digital imaging system taken these requirements into
consideration?
- Does the public body understand the costs involved in upgrading
technology to insure the accessibility of the information for its useful
life?
If the answer to any of these questions is "no," the digital imaging
application should be reconsidered.
Adapted from the Oregon State Archives Records Management
Manual (1994).
Return to Archives Home Page
Oregon State University
Archives and Records Management Program
Archives@oregonstate.edu
Send an inquiry to the OSU Archives.
http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/archives/handbook/chapter2/record_8.2.html
Last updated: Monday, 11-Aug-2008 13:08:24 PDT