As you may have noticed throughout the mitigation strategies blog last week, one of the most effective ways to protect your essential records is through making some kind of copy of those records. While this is not feasible for all record types, it is one of the broadest mitigation strategies that exists to help protect your essential records.
Duplication can occur in many different formats. Sometimes this is the same format as the original record and sometimes it is not. Let’s look at some of these formats in more detail:
Microform (i.e. Microfilm or Microfiche): This is a great optionfor documents that are static (unchanging) once created. The State Archives offers microfilming services and storage for some local government records. More information on these services can be found on our website.
Digital: Digital backups can be made from born-digital or paper records. This can be done by taking data or scanned documents and storing them on computer media at an off-site storage location. While this format allows you easily access a great deal of information in a small space, you should consider what hardware and software will be needed at this location as well as the costs of maintaining this location.
Backup Tapes: While you can duplicate your records through system backups on tape, remember that these may not be structured in a way that is convenient for immediate access, so it may not be the best choice for records that you need in the immediate aftermath of an emergency.
Paper: Like with microforms, we typically recommend paper copies for those records that are static, as they are one of the most difficult duplication formats to keep updated and distributed. However, paper copies are also typically the least expensive duplication option, so they may be your preferred duplication method if your agency’s budget is lower. Just keep in mind that they may also have associated costs for storage off-site, i.e. they take up more space.
The important thing to remember with any of the duplication formats is that some records will need cycling or maintenance. Cycling, or maintenance, is the periodic replacement or updating of obsolete copies of essential records with current copies. This can be done on a daily, weekly, quarterly, or annual basis – depending on the content of the records, the media on which they are stored, and access priorities. One way to ensure this is done is to create a duplication schedule. This tells you when to update the records and to formally document the action.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s MayDay series and that you’ve taken a moment to do at least one thing, however small, to prepare for a disaster. If you’re interested in more information about disaster preparedness, there are resources listed below or you can contact me at kayla.leonard@dncr.nc.gov.
Disaster Preparedness Resources:
- Essential Records Resources from State Archives
- Disaster Response Resources from the State Archives
- Essential Records (ER)
- Pocket Response Plan (PReP)
- dPlan
- Heritage Preservation
State of North Carolina Archives Disaster Preparedness Representatives:
| Kayla Leonard Essential Records Analyst Kayla.Leonard@dncr.nc.gov 252-639-3543 | Cindy Bradley Collections Management Branch Head Cynthia.Bradley@dncr.nc.gov 919-814-6849 | Becky McGee-Lankford Government Records Section Head Becky.Mcgee-Lankford@dncr.nc.gov 919-814-6903 |
The G.S. 132 Files 