For Immediate Release

Contact:  Rob Spindler
University Archivist
Department of Archives and Manuscripts
Arizona State University Libraries
Tempe AZ  85287-1006
(480-965-9277) fax (480-965-9277)
Robert.Spindler@asu.edu


Universities Consider Archiving for Electronic Records

What will be the fate of electronic student transcripts, digital theses
and dissertations, multimedia college courses and email in campuswide or
desktop information systems? Can colleges and universities efficiently
provide educational services when their electronic resources are
haphazardly retained or deleted? University administrators, registrars,
faculty and attorneys recently met with archivists, librarians, records
managers and technology professionals to discuss the prospects for
retaining, reusing and making available carefully selected electronic
records of higher education.

On October 7th one hundred professionals with responsibility for
creating or maintaining digital products convened the first Preservation
and Access for Electronic College and University Records Conference
sponsored by Arizona State University.  Experts from ten universities
including MIT, Ohio State, UCLA, Virginia Tech and Arizona State
presented a range of technical, educational and information policy
issues.
 
Clifford A.  Lynch, Director of the Coalition for Networked Information,
noted in his keynote address that administrators have used the web to
enhance accessibility of electronic course catalogs, but "The notion of
what happened to last year's database, or what should happen to it isn't
even on their agenda".  Meanwhile archivists and registrars regularly
respond to requests from alumni for the texts of past course
descriptions needed to meet graduate school admissions or professional
certification requirements.

Presentations on electronic theses and dissertations, email, and privacy
protection emphasized relationships between technical solutions, policy
development and continuing education of students, faculty and staff.
Other speakers expressed concern for issues that impact the efficiency
of university operations including the costs of data migration, repair,
or replacement, and authentication of digital signatures.

The conference generated news coverage from the Chronicle of Higher
Education and office.com, an electronic news magazine.  Officials from
Arizona State will shortly post many of the speakers presentations on
the conference website (http://www.asu.edu/it/events/ecure/) and are
planning for an invitational program for university leadership in the
spring, as well as a second major conference next fall.