The problem of "technology exclusion" has been frequently discussed in
relation to the CHARM
(Charities Archivists & Rec. Managers) list. The only solution was to
maintain a list of those who
have email and those who haven't. This is obviously not feasible for larger
entities.
The Royal Academy has recently installed a full network for the first time.
The move from memo
to email happened without any training and has made a significant impact. We
are left in the position
of those who do and those who don't, bringing the all communications
problems associated.
Duplication of information on different media is often seen as the only
solution, and where have we
archivists dealing with modern records met up with that before?
There are major issues underlying these aspects of our information
landscape. In television we are
no longer able to sit down to a "shared national experience", at least to
the extent we did. There
are many avenues to disseminate information and none of them are dominant.
The Newsletter reaches the entire membership of the Society, the list does
not. The list is current
and reacts rapidly, whereas the Newsletter gives a consolidated and
sequential view.
In my experience if the electronic route is open, people will use it, to the
detriment of more established
methods. I would feel it to be important to manage the relationship of the
list to the Newsletter. With
information flowing freely from one to the other their particular strengths
would be enhanced.
Mark Pomeroy
Archivist
Royal Academy of Arts
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