Jonathan Pringle, MAS, CRM
HSLIC Scholarly Communications & Digital Librarian
Building off the achievement of my Certified Records Analyst (CRA) status back in April 2022 (see that blog post here), I was recently successful in passing the required examinations to obtain my upgraded status as a Certified Records Manager (CRM). I am now one of only 4 active CRMs in the state of New Mexico. Thanks is due--once again--to the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM)'s Region 4 and their Y2 Professional Development Award. I requested $760 to cover print and electronic resources related to the below-highlighted topical areas; this also included the fees for two separate 100-multiple choice question tests and a final 4-hour written exam. Previous funding from NNLM Region 4 paid for resources and tests associated with the CRA status, comprised of the non-highlighted topics (Parts 2-4) below.
- Management Principles and the Records and Information Management (RIM) Program
- Records and Information Creation and Use
- Record Storage, Retrieval, Conversion, and Facilities
- Records Identification, Retention, Protection and Disposition
- Technology
- Sample Business Cases (2 written proposals to hypothetical case studies)
In my previous post I described more about the certification process and what exactly a records manager is/does. The key distinction between the CRA and CRM status is that a CRM can operate independently and is trained and prepared to assume core responsibility for information governance within myriad types of organizations. In order to demonstrate this, a CRM needs to be proficient in management theory and its application in a records management environment (Part 1); well-versed in a very broad range of records creation and preservation environments and the technologies used to manage them (Part 5); and can demonstrate learned application of all concepts gleaned from Parts 1-5 through analysis and proposed planning in two separate written business cases* (Part 6).
*I don't immediately remember what the first business case was, but the second envisioned me as a records manager tasked with helping a global cruise ship company--whose employees from across the world had been abusing the use of a shared network drive--and transitioning the company to a dedicated digital content management system.
How Does this Benefit HSLIC/HSC?
A critical component to managing our HSC institutional archives is having a comprehensive understanding of the multiple ways in which records are created, accessed, and deleted/destroyed/preserved across campus. This includes a mix of physical and electronic records in many different formats (documents, images, videos, etc.), each with their own unique retention requirements and complex storage conditions. Considering HSLIC is the official repository for permanent, non-active archival records for HSC, we must receive regular transfers of records--both physical and electronic--from across HSC according to these schedules AND with the necessary preservation and security strategies in place. With a CRM on staff, HSLIC and HSC can be better stewards of these records and we can be better prepared to advocate on behalf of them.
