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NEW MEMBERS ROUND TABLE

ARCHIVES COMMITTEE
(Standing)

Committee Charge:
To manage the NMRT Archives Program, which includes the gathering, preservation, and provision of access to NMRT documentation in paper and electronic formats. To establish a comprehensive records management plan, facilitated by policies and guidelines, which can be implemented and modified as needed.

History of the Committee:

Major responsibilities:

1. Provide a centralized access point for committee information, policies, and procedures, which primarily involves maintaining the NMRT Archives Database.
2. Determine and implement procedures and guidelines for archiving selected print and electronic documents.
3. Provide access to various forms, report templates and other miscellanous documents via the NMRT Archives Database that have not already been provided in the NMRT Handbook.
4. Ensure that copies of electronic documents, once entered into the Archives Database, are converted to paper format, organized into well-documented batches, and forwarded to the ALA Archives for preservation/storage purposes.
5. Ensure that a copy of the NMRT Handbook is periodically (perhaps every 3 years in June) converted to paper format and forwarded to the ALA Archives for preservation/storage purposes.
6. Respond to inquiries regarding archival issues related to official NMRT records.
7. Maintain open communication about archival matters with NMRT Secretary and serve as the liaison to the ALA Archives at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Procedures Used to Accomplish Major Responsibilities:

1. A reporting schedule has been developed whereby NMRT reports are submitted through the NMRT-BD list; these reports are in turn harvested by the Archives chair and distributed to Archives committee members who then key them into the Archives Database.
2. Archives chair maintains schedule for submitting paper formatted documents to ALA Archives.
3. Procedural guidelines have been developed and are available in the Archives Database to assist Archives committee members in the creation of records for selected documents being entered into said database. (ONLY ARCHIVES MEMBERS ARE AUTHORIZED TO INPUT RECORDS INTO THE ARCHIVES DATABASE.)
4. Input from Archives committee members is frequently solicited on issues regarding these retention, harvesting and access provision procedures.
5. Publicity is necessary to keep NMRT members informed about the benefits of using the Archives Database. This is accomplished by reporting on Archives activities whenever possible via newsletters, listservs, at meetings, etc.

Committee Composition and Term(s) of Office:
The Committee can consist of up to 10 members with either 1 chair or 2 co-chairs appointed, as necessary, to one-year terms; reappointment is subject to Executive Board approval.
The Committee term is from Midwinter to Midwinter conferences of ALA.

Reports to: NMRT Secretary (Supervising Board Member)

Contact People for Accomplishing Committee Objectives:

• NMRT President
• NMRT Vice-President/President-Elect
• NMRT Secretary
• Committee chair(s)
• ALA Archives, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  (19 Library, 1408 W. Gregory Dr., Urbana, IL 61821)

Publicity Needs:
Recruitment of new members through NMRT newsletters
Accessibility to NMRT documents via the Archives Database needs to be publicized often

Records Generation and Archiving Schedule:
A comprehensive schedule (subject to change) has been developed whereby committee chairs & officers submit reports to the NMRT-BD list as follows:

Annual-to-Annual committees

• Planning Reports (by mid-September)
• Progress Reports (by mid-February)
• Final Reports (by mid-June)

Midwinter-to-Midwinter committees

• Planning Reports (by mid-April)
• Progress Reports (by mid-August)
• Final Reports (by mid-December)

Forms Used by the Committee: Planning, progress & final report forms.

Documents to Create/Update:
The Archives Committee maintains the following documents:

• NMRT Archives Policy
• NMRT Archives Policy for Electronic Documents
• Procedures for Inputting (Electronic) Reports into (Archives) Database
• Procedures for Inputting (Scanned) Records into (Archives) Database
• Miscellaneous report templates

Reminders and Helpful Hints:
The NMRT Secretary is responsible for reminding chairs & officers when it is time to submit reports according to the recommended schedule.

Committee chairs and officers are urged to consult archival policies in NMRT Archives Policy and NMRT Archives Policy for Electronic Document when weeding their files of official documents and/or miscellaneous paperwork.

Please consult with the Archives Committee when questions arise related to the forwarding of documents to the ALA Archives at the University of Illinois.

The Archives Committee requests that chairs & officers be sure to use the appropriate report form at the appropriate reporting period. For example, use only the "Planning Report" template when submitting a planning report—this is important because each report form contains questions that pertain to that particular reporting period.

Midwinter: Meet as a committee at All Committees Meeting; changeover of Archives chairs.

December/January:
Welcome new committee members.
Archives chair prepares written final report for the NMRT Executive Board.
Enter all MW-MW committee final reports into Archives Database.
Make sure all Annual-Annual committee planning reports are received and properly keyed into Archives Database.

March/April:
Archives chair prepares written planning report for the NMRT Executive Board.

April/May:
Enter all MW-MW committee planning reports into Archives Database.
Make sure all Annual-Annual committee progress reports are received and properly keyed into Archives Database.

June/July:
Make sure all Annual-Annual committee final reports are received and properly keyed into Archives Database.

Annual:
Meet as a committee at All Committees Meeting; recruit new members.

July/August:
Archives chair prepares written progress report to NMRT Executive Board.

August/September:
Welcome new committee members.
Enter all MW-MW committee progress reports into Archives Database.