THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT IS COPIED
VERBATEM FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES
THE ORIGINAL IS ON FILE IN THE
CITY RECORDERS OFFICE
Utah State Archives & Records Service
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114
Optical Media Technology
Technical Leaflet #1
Effective Date: March 1992
PURPOSE:
This leaflet establishes the policy of the Utah State Archives regarding the use of optical media technology for public records storage. It defines Archives policy and requirements for use with information appraised and scheduled as long-term (10 years or greater) or permanent. It also provides guidelines about system evaluation, functionality, and applicability for use with records scheduled for less than 10 years.
DEFINITION:
Optical media technology is defined as any high-density storage and rapid retrieval system used in information and image processing. This most commonly refers to WORM (Write-Once, Read-Many) optical disk systems but may include rewritable, erasable systems. These systems all record information by a laser scanner that transmits binary codes into a computer. Information is stored and accessed through the computer.
POLICY:
The Utah State Archives has determined that information stored on optical disk systems is not currently acceptable for records with long-term (10 years or greater) or permanent retention’s. Records in these categories must first be transferred to accepted media of archival quality before the State Archives receives custody. These media include:
A. Paper formats such as manuals, books, pamphlets, files, etc.
B. Microformats that meet American National Standards Institute standards for permanence and legibility.
Specific considerations are listed below:
A Current optical disk systems are completely hardware and software dependent.
B. Industry standards do not yet exist that allow compatibility from one system to another.
C. The Archival quality of optical disks is still questionable.
GUIDELINES:
Records appraised and scheduled for less than 10 years can be maintained on optical disk systems. The following guidelines will assist agencies in considering the use of optical disk systems.
I. Legal Status: Presently, no statute or case law exists in Utah addressing the admissibility of optically stored records as evidence.
II. Records Appraisal/Retention: In planning for an optical system, the type of records and their use must first be reviewed. It is necessary to resolve records issues such as:
A. Access guarantees for the life span of the record.
B. Provisions for transferring information to another media if necessary
C. Classification of the data.
D. Assurance of records integrity and longevity.
E. Scheduled retention of the records.
F. Volume of use and/or retrieval.
III. Standardization: Standards of technology must be closely monitored. The issues in this case are:
A. System compatibility.
B. Lack of national standards on systems for hardware, software and the disks themselves.
C. Lack of common indexing capabilities.
IV. System Management: The management of the system is an important factor. Proper system documentation is essential for accessing or transferring data. Preserving the integrity of the information must take precedence. The issues to consider are:
A. Retrieval, access and indexing requirements.
B. System maintenance requirements.
C. System design architecture.
D. Storage requirements
E. Data processing and user relations.
F. System Security and access allowances.
G. Vendor support and cost comparisons.
H. Conversion costs and the quality and integrity of system conversions
CONCLUSION:
The State Archives recognizes the need and usefulness of optical disk technology. Carefully implemented and well designed systems will prove highly beneficial in improving productivity. However, optical disk systems are not yet acceptable as an archival media. As such, the State Archives requires all agencies transferring records of long-term (10 years or greater) or permanent retention’s to do son on acceptable paper or microformats.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
National Archives and National Association of Government Archives and Records Administration. Digital Imaging and Optical Media Storage Systems: Guidelines for State and Local Government Agencies. Albany, N.Y.: New York State Archives, 1992.
Association for Information and Image Management. The Use of Optical Disks for Public Records. Technical Report. Silver Spring, MD.: 1990.
Saffady, William. Optical Disks vs. Micrographics. Westport, CT: Meckler Corporatioon, 1988.
Additional bibliographic sources are available upon request. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Utah State Archives at 538-3012