International project for records preservation: InterPARES

Since November 2007, ICCROM has been participating in the InterPARES 3 Project (International Research on Permanent Authentic Records in Electronic Systems). This international initiative, composed of several regional, national and multinational teams, started its research activities in 1999 and deals with long-term preservation of authentic digital records and archival management.

The results of the previous research phases will be implemented and tested in small and medium archives with limited funding. In fact, in February 2008, InterPARES officially invited the Archives and the Information Systems Department of ICCROM to participate as a case study in this phase of the project.

A records management system will be designed and implemented at ICCROM as a result of the four-year InterPARES case study (2008-2012) currently developed within TEAM Italy (TEAM = Theoretical Elaborations into Archival Management).

The features that will be developed are:

• a records classification scheme for the whole organization;
• a records retention and disposal schedule integrated into the records classification scheme;
• a computer-based records management system which permits recording incoming, outgoing and internal mail, classification and filing, records flow management and records disposal management;
• a records management procedures manual with description of the records flow, system components and all aspects of the records management, including procedures for the long-term preservation of digital records.

updated on: 10 February, 2009