Dawn of a new era
If nothing else, technology has done a terrific job of making certain generations feel the age gap more than others in terms of several types of word processors becoming obsolete within one lifetime. However, the next shift in the digital era could mean the end of paper, the reigning medium since roughly AD 105, ultimately altering how records and history and created, consumed and conserved.
This dramatic transition is set to take place within the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), which happens to be the repository for all United States governmental records from various agencies. The goal of NARA is to require all agencies to submit their records exclusively in electronic format by 2022. In our technologically savvy world, it should be as simple as the push of a button, right? Well, not exactly.
So why can NARA simply not continue using a hybrid recordkeeping system of both physical and digital records? The obvious reason, and the issue archivists face on a reoccurring basis, is simply not having enough physical space to store shelf upon shelf of records. Physical records also bear the burden of intensive human labor in terms of arranging, describing and preserving, unlike digitally-born records which can more easily capture information, or metadata automatically. Therefore, it is not a stretch to see why this change would make sense for a government largely based on capitalism, in which technological advancements have become the key for time saved and money made.
Understanding the reasoning behind the ‘why’ of shifting from analog to digital records is simple enough, however the tricky part lies in what form is best suited for electronic documents, or the ‘how’. NARA currently utilizes a comprehensive Enterprise Content Management/ Document Management (ECM / DM) system to capture all agencies workflows. However, a standard medium has yet to be decided upon due to agencies utilizing various platforms.
Duff Johnson, Executive Director of the non-profit PDF Association, advocates for the implementation of a Portable Document Format, or the much-beloved PDF. While an understandable choice of the moment, will the PDF stand the test of time or will it crumble under technological advances in record management software developments?
How does the pdf stack up?
A clear benefit of the PDF is its ability to look and perform like paper in workflows. For example, the ability to print, sign and scan a document back to electronic format makes the PDF a seamless transition from what users are accustomed to dealing with in the work place.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) serves as a sounding board for record-management best practices and principles, by providing security and accountability to users and creators of records, and to everything that happens in between. There are two key standards that are useful in determining the future role of the PDF on a grand scale: ISO Standard 32000 and 15489.
In a world of fake news and dubious characters in public office, we need records that are above moral (and legal) reproach. Enter ISO Standard 15489: not the hero we asked for, but the hero we need. This principle establishes the basis for what a record should look and behave like by embodying four crucial components: authenticity, reliability, integrity, and usability.
The PDF can abide by these four characteristics by: maintaining the original creator and identity of the record (authenticity); acting as a trusted representation of the transaction (reliability); ability to show if the record has been altered or is incomplete (integrity); and lastly can be located and presented quickly and easily (usability).
Even more relevant, is ISO Standard 32000 which approves the PDF as a viable digital form for users to exchange and view electronic documents in an open environment. This is important to note because while Adobe did in fact invent the PDF, they gave the format to ISO in 2008, which means the PDF is not privately-owned and controlled, like many users understand it to be.
Too soon to tell?
Let’s face it, change can be scary (especially when it is unprecedented). The PDF is still quite young and has several kinks it needs to work out before maturing into a flawless medium. Before digital documents are solely used in US governmental agencies, employers need to ensure staff have proper training in creating and handling electronic documents. Employees also need to understand the unique issues digital files present rather than using the same logic utilized for physical records. For example, the danger of losing work by not saving, or creating too many copies in various locations.
This will inform not only how the agencies treat electronic documents, but will also encourage better record-keeping practices for the future. While change should not be accepted blindly and without foresight, it also should not be feared. From clay tablets to papyrus to paper, society has tended to choose mediums that suited its needs for that appropriate time and set of circumstances. The PDF looks like it is here to stay, so let’s embrace the opportunity to increase sustainability and authenticity in the modern record-keeping world!