March 29, 2024
Updated May 12, 2025
22 minute read
A Records Manager is a professional responsible for the efficient and systematic control of an organization's records throughout their lifecycle. This includes the creation, receipt, maintenance, use, and disposition of records, regardless of format – whether physical or digital. The core objective of records management is to ensure that information is available when and where it is needed, to support business operations, comply with legal and regulatory obligations, and preserve organizational memory.
Working as a Records Manager can be engaging due to the critical role they play in an organization's information governance. Professionals in this field often find satisfaction in designing and implementing systems that bring order to complex information landscapes. Furthermore, the increasing importance of data privacy and security provides an exciting challenge, requiring Records Managers to stay abreast of evolving regulations and technologies to protect sensitive information.
Introduction to Records Management
This section provides a foundational understanding of the field, making it accessible even if you have no prior knowledge. We will explore what records management entails, its historical development, key terminology, and the global regulatory environment that shapes this profession.
Defining Records Management and Its Core Objectives
Records management is the systematic and administrative control of records throughout their lifecycle. This encompasses everything from the moment a record is created or received by an organization until its eventual disposal or permanent preservation. The primary goals of records management are to ensure that records are accurate, authentic, reliable, and usable. Effective records management supports an organization's operational needs, facilitates informed decision-making, ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, protects vital information, and preserves the organization's history and memory.
3mrco8|
Find a path to becoming a Records Manager. Learn more at:
OpenCourser.com/career/3mrco8/records
Reading list
We've selected some books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Records Manager.
Provides a comprehensive overview of document management systems (DMSs), covering topics such as DMS selection, implementation, and management. It great resource for anyone who is considering implementing a DMS.
Provides a practical guide to designing and implementing an effective document management system. It covers topics such as document analysis, workflow design, and system evaluation. It great resource for anyone who is responsible for designing or implementing a DMS.
Cornerstone for understanding the fundamental principles of operating systems, including detailed coverage of file systems. It explains the concepts behind file organization, allocation methods, and directory structures, providing essential background knowledge for anyone serious about file management. It is widely used as a textbook in undergraduate and graduate computer science programs. The tenth edition includes contemporary examples and enhanced interactive elements.
Provides a comprehensive overview of records management, including the creation, storage, and disposition of records. It also discusses the role of retention labels in records management.
Directly addresses the challenges of identifying and combating fake news and misinformation. It provides practical strategies and theoretical context for understanding the current information disorder. Highly relevant for all audiences, particularly undergraduate students and professionals in communication and information fields.
Aligned with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, this book provides practical exercises for implementing the framework's concepts. It's a crucial resource for academic librarians and instructors working with undergraduate and graduate students. It helps translate theoretical concepts into actionable teaching strategies.
Provides a comprehensive guide to document management for healthcare professionals, covering topics such as document creation, storage, retrieval, and collaboration. It great resource for anyone who wants to improve their document management skills in the healthcare field.
Provides a comprehensive guide to ECM for healthcare professionals, covering topics such as ECM systems, ECM benefits, and ECM implementation. It great resource for anyone who wants to improve their ECM skills in the healthcare field.
Provides a practical guide to document management, offering tips and techniques for organizing and managing documents effectively. It great resource for anyone who wants to improve their document management skills.
Equips readers with critical thinking skills to evaluate the data and information they encounter daily. It's highly relevant to contemporary information literacy challenges like misinformation and data manipulation. Accessible to undergraduate students and valuable for professionals navigating complex information environments.
This collection examines the intersection of information literacy and social justice, exploring how information professionals can address inequality and advocate for equitable access to information. It's a vital read for graduate students and professionals interested in the ethical and social responsibilities of the field. It challenges readers to consider the broader impact of their work.
Provides historians with a comprehensive guide to document analysis, covering topics such as the different types of historical documents, how to analyze documents for their historical context, and how to use document analysis to support historical research.
Provides a comprehensive overview of enterprise content management (ECM), covering topics such as ECM systems, ECM benefits, and ECM implementation. It great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about ECM.
Provides a practical, step-by-step guide to academic research for students. It covers essential strategies for navigating the information landscape, evaluating sources, and organizing research. It's particularly useful for high school and undergraduate students as a foundational text and reference.
Is an excellent starting point for understanding file management from a command-line perspective in Linux. It progressively introduces essential commands for navigating, manipulating, and managing files and directories. It's highly recommended for beginners and provides a strong foundation for working with files in a terminal environment. The second edition comprehensive introduction.
Based on Project Information Literacy's research, this guide focuses specifically on how individuals evaluate information in practice. It offers insights into real-world information behaviors and challenges. Useful for undergraduate students and professionals seeking to understand and improve information evaluation skills.
Argues for an integrated approach to media and information literacy, recognizing the convergence of information formats and platforms. It's relevant for undergraduate and graduate students seeking a holistic understanding of navigating the contemporary media landscape. It provides a framework for addressing diverse information sources.
Provides intelligence analysts with a comprehensive guide to document analysis, covering topics such as the different types of intelligence documents, how to analyze documents for their intelligence value, and how to use document analysis to support intelligence operations.
While focused on forensics, this book provides an in-depth look at the inner workings of various file systems, including FAT, NTFS, and Ext2/3. Understanding how file systems store and manage data at a low level is crucial for a deep understanding of file management. It's a valuable reference for advanced learners and professionals.
This sweeping history explores the concept of information from the invention of the telegraph to the digital age. While not solely focused on information literacy instruction, it provides invaluable context for understanding the nature and impact of information throughout history. A compelling read for all audiences interested in the broader landscape of information.
Provides a broad overview of the information profession, including the crucial role of information literacy. It's valuable for those new to library and information science or working professionals seeking to understand the wider context of their work. It highlights current trends and challenges in information services.
Provides a comprehensive overview of retention management, covering topics such as policy development, implementation, and enforcement. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about this important topic.
This practical guide offers a wealth of exercises for teaching information literacy skills to college students, aligned with earlier standards. It's a valuable resource for librarians and instructors developing information literacy instruction sessions. While based on older standards, many exercises remain adaptable and useful.
Is the definitive guide to Git, a widely used version control system. While not strictly about traditional file management, it's highly relevant to contemporary file management practices, especially in software development and collaborative environments. It teaches how to track, manage, and merge changes to files effectively. The second edition is updated for Git 2.0 and includes GitHub coverage.
Delves into the inner workings of the Linux operating system, including how it handles files and the filesystem hierarchy. It's written in an easy-to-understand style and is excellent for gaining a deeper understanding of the 'why' behind Linux file management.
Delves into the methodologies and theoretical frameworks used in information literacy research. It is essential reading for graduate students and researchers conducting studies in the field. It provides a comprehensive overview of qualitative approaches to understanding information literacy practices.
Provides a comprehensive overview of research methods relevant to information science, including information literacy. It's an essential reference for graduate students and researchers conducting studies in the field. It covers both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of records retention schedules, including the role of retention labels in creating and maintaining retention schedules.
This comprehensive guide to Linux includes substantial coverage of file management, from basic commands to more advanced topics like file system types and disk management. It serves as a great reference for Linux users of all levels and is updated for recent distributions.
Classic guide to system administration on Unix and Linux systems, with significant portions dedicated to file management, permissions, and storage. While some editions are older, the core concepts and administrative tasks related to files remain relevant. The 3rd edition classic reference.
This concise guide serves as a handy reference for essential Linux commands, many of which are directly related to file management. It's useful for quickly looking up syntax and options for common file operations. It's a practical tool for anyone working with files on Linux. The 4th edition includes updated commands for file handling and version control.
Offers a practical perspective on file system design by examining the Be File System. While the BeOS is no longer prevalent, the book provides valuable insights into the design decisions and implementation details of a file system. It's a good resource for those interested in the practical aspects of file system creation. The PDF is freely available online.
As a comprehensive guide to Python, this book includes thorough coverage of Python's file I/O operations and how to interact with the file system programmatically. Given Python's popularity in scripting and automation, this is highly relevant for managing files using code.
While not solely about file management, this book emphasizes writing clean, readable, and maintainable code. This principle is highly applicable to writing code that interacts with file systems, ensuring that file operations are handled correctly and efficiently. It's a must-read for any programmer.
Provides information professionals with a practical guide to document analysis, covering topics such as how to identify and interpret different types of information documents, how to analyze documents for their information value, and how to use document analysis to support information research and practice.
Provides business professionals with a practical guide to document analysis, covering topics such as how to identify and interpret different types of business documents, how to analyze documents for their business significance, and how to use document analysis to support business research and practice.
Uses document analysis to tell the story of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman whose cells were taken without her consent and used to create the first immortal cell line. Skloot's book explores the ethical and social implications of this case.
Provides a comprehensive overview of data governance, including the role of retention labels in data governance.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/career/3mrco8/records
Save
