With the advent of Google Drive offering 5gb of online cloud storage space for free, new possibilities for file sharing and access are opened up.
Having used the service for my own personal use, the ability to ensure that files are synchronised across multiple devices and potential access to your own data from any device is amazing.
However there is potentially nothing to stop an employee logging into a cloud storage service and uploading company records and data, either as an act of theft or careless practice.
So many potential threats and compliance issues are now faced by businesses - does your company provide an adequate policy for use of these services at work, or perhaps access to them is blocked?
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
When is a record really deleted?
Another interesting question today - can I restore my deleted record from the system?
With Windows and MacOS operating systems there is always the possibility of recovery from the "Trash" folder. I believe this creates the impression that when a delete routine has been run - there is still a second chance of recovery.
With Microsoft Outlook even after emptying the "Deleted Items" you can still find a menu to "Recover Deleted Items"
So there are lots of possibilities of recovering "deleted" records in these scenarios.
However in this instance with this particular system, the deletion was final. Perhaps through a backup recovery the files could be reconstituted but I find sometimes the expectation from the user community is that they have always "second chance" with all systems.
With Windows and MacOS operating systems there is always the possibility of recovery from the "Trash" folder. I believe this creates the impression that when a delete routine has been run - there is still a second chance of recovery.
So there are lots of possibilities of recovering "deleted" records in these scenarios.
However in this instance with this particular system, the deletion was final. Perhaps through a backup recovery the files could be reconstituted but I find sometimes the expectation from the user community is that they have always "second chance" with all systems.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Foolscap records - digging out and photocopying
I helped a staff member today with accessing historic committee papers for a project, the easy part was pulling them out! The index system holds firm, everything is where it should be and the files are ready for use.
Having got them out, clearly photocopying some items would be helpful to allow him to work better.
It was a pleasant surprise to get hold of these documents from the 60s and take it all in. I certainly enjoyed the language used and their presentation but making copies was another thing all together! The complication was that these documents were in foolscap format which is longer in length than A4.
Photocopies on trays designed for A4 certainly made life difficult, I need to go out and see how others get around managing foolscap in an A4 world! I ended up orientating the page to cut off margins but not text but it was messy and quite frankly difficult. I am sure there are better ways of dealing with this, but I was pressed for time.
This also reminded me that some of the mid 90s electronic papers are in WordStar format which will present it's own challenges to retrieve and display again!
Having got them out, clearly photocopying some items would be helpful to allow him to work better.
It was a pleasant surprise to get hold of these documents from the 60s and take it all in. I certainly enjoyed the language used and their presentation but making copies was another thing all together! The complication was that these documents were in foolscap format which is longer in length than A4.
Photocopies on trays designed for A4 certainly made life difficult, I need to go out and see how others get around managing foolscap in an A4 world! I ended up orientating the page to cut off margins but not text but it was messy and quite frankly difficult. I am sure there are better ways of dealing with this, but I was pressed for time.
This also reminded me that some of the mid 90s electronic papers are in WordStar format which will present it's own challenges to retrieve and display again!
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Future possibilities with Libraries - the Amsterdam model
Amsterdam Library - Openbare bibliotheek amsterdam
I went on holiday last weekend with my wife who is also a Librarian. Before we
returned to the Amsterdam Central Station for the final train journey back to the Airport we left a couple of hours free to checkout the nearby Amsterdam city library. It was well worth the effort and could have spent all day there!
There were 7 floors of amazing library action! From an amazing open reception area to a top floor restaurant La Place.
There were plenty of Windows PCs for general internet access and Microsoft Office applications - with no login required whatsoever. Yes I could walk up to a machine and just use it straight away without needing any temporary logins!
Then there were loads of Macs all setup in much the same way for internet access and iTunes, you could plug in your device and download to your hearts content whatever you desired. Amazing and check out the furniture as well!
I don't work in libraries nor do I use them much which I am ashamed to say. However this visit to Amsterdam City Library changed my whole view on what they can achieve and how the service can be delivered.
Check out these "study" booths, great little hideaways dotted around on several floors complete with power sockets, network points and a very generous amount of room to work in. Cracking way of separating those that wish to study privately from the people that prefer the social group interactions.
The way the materials - books, DVDs etc were presented was superb, check out these round and curvy columns and bonkers lighting!
And of course, what library would be complete without a piano for the general public to use!
You didn't think they would let me play it do you? I should have tested their definition of experienced players!
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
New .docx format beginning to embed and causing problems for sharing
Within the department I work, we are increasingly experiencing more and more complications with the new Microsoft Office .docx format introduced with version 2007.
We still work with Office 2003 and the docx file format is not integrated with our own document management platform, so you are not able to edit and manipulate such objects without clumsy manual interventions. Subsequent releases will address this, but that means a global upgrade to LiveLink which obviously is not something performed overnight.
This conflict was inevitable as more people migrate to Office 2007 or 2010 and use the new format by default who interact with us.
We have the file conversion tool by Microsoft but this comes with so many caveats and warnings that clearly this is not a perfect solution.
External customers are asking for help with the new file types where documents are provided by other sources we do not control. Clearly a public sector organisation cannot recommend solutions to individuals - it is their call which is naturally not a helpful position.
I hope that this new file format - heralded as more open, is worth the pain and investment required.
Where we do control matters, we issue papers and responses in PDF format so we have greater confidence that the recipient will be able to access and view the file in the way it was intended.
We still work with Office 2003 and the docx file format is not integrated with our own document management platform, so you are not able to edit and manipulate such objects without clumsy manual interventions. Subsequent releases will address this, but that means a global upgrade to LiveLink which obviously is not something performed overnight.
This conflict was inevitable as more people migrate to Office 2007 or 2010 and use the new format by default who interact with us.
We have the file conversion tool by Microsoft but this comes with so many caveats and warnings that clearly this is not a perfect solution.
External customers are asking for help with the new file types where documents are provided by other sources we do not control. Clearly a public sector organisation cannot recommend solutions to individuals - it is their call which is naturally not a helpful position.
I hope that this new file format - heralded as more open, is worth the pain and investment required.
Where we do control matters, we issue papers and responses in PDF format so we have greater confidence that the recipient will be able to access and view the file in the way it was intended.
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Legacy physical media
What Does an Electronic Records Archivist Do
By Lynda Schmitz Fuhrig, Electronic Records Archivist
http://blog.photography.si.edu/2010/08/10/electronic-records-archivist/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+si%2FvrZU+(The+Bigger+Picture)
Great post here referenced in the JISCmail list
Who knows what gems may live on such media, even if they were belong either a personal or corporate collection it would be really interesting to unwrap each items content.
I would be looking to migrate the content onto modern platforms. You can purchase USB 3.5" floppy disk drives these days, that would be a good first port of call for those items.
5.25" may be more tricky, but getting hold of some legacy kit and interface cards you should be able to put something together.
I think sometimes the hardest part beyond the physical recovery, is the actual interpretation of the data. Clearly many files may have been created in now-defunct applications. However with Virtual machines and emulation, the possibility exists to recreate the configurations of operating systems and applications that will allow a good chance of accessing content. However getting hold of the applications and operating systems to create an emulation platform may be difficult.
By Lynda Schmitz Fuhrig, Electronic Records Archivist
http://blog.photography.si.edu/2010/08/10/electronic-records-archivist/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+si%2FvrZU+(The+Bigger+Picture)
Great post here referenced in the JISCmail list
Who knows what gems may live on such media, even if they were belong either a personal or corporate collection it would be really interesting to unwrap each items content.
I would be looking to migrate the content onto modern platforms. You can purchase USB 3.5" floppy disk drives these days, that would be a good first port of call for those items.
5.25" may be more tricky, but getting hold of some legacy kit and interface cards you should be able to put something together.
I think sometimes the hardest part beyond the physical recovery, is the actual interpretation of the data. Clearly many files may have been created in now-defunct applications. However with Virtual machines and emulation, the possibility exists to recreate the configurations of operating systems and applications that will allow a good chance of accessing content. However getting hold of the applications and operating systems to create an emulation platform may be difficult.
Monday, 19 July 2010
Sharepoint - an exciting opportunity for organisations?
I have been taking a good look at Sharepoint recently, many organisations are expressing a great interest in this platform (particularly SP2010) either as a complement to existing arrangements or an outright replacement.
I am currently investigating its suitability but can already see some potential given Office 2010 and Office Communicator integration and how you can virtually instantly make contact with document authors from the properties screen. So I can imagine how much better document sharing and collaboration might be with SharePoint given a little bit of insight from Office 2010 alone.
The general consensus seems to be that thankfully many core functions of document and records management are now within SP 2010 where they were lacking in 2007. The UI is improved, metadata better supported, retention policy is better implemented.
I already have a SP 2007 VHD setup at home and can see the document management side coming through it, but it is somewhat more restricted than other platforms I have used. I look forward to continuing my investigative work on this and hopefully getting my hands on with a SP 2010 platform soon either at work or at home.
I am currently investigating its suitability but can already see some potential given Office 2010 and Office Communicator integration and how you can virtually instantly make contact with document authors from the properties screen. So I can imagine how much better document sharing and collaboration might be with SharePoint given a little bit of insight from Office 2010 alone.
The general consensus seems to be that thankfully many core functions of document and records management are now within SP 2010 where they were lacking in 2007. The UI is improved, metadata better supported, retention policy is better implemented.
I already have a SP 2007 VHD setup at home and can see the document management side coming through it, but it is somewhat more restricted than other platforms I have used. I look forward to continuing my investigative work on this and hopefully getting my hands on with a SP 2010 platform soon either at work or at home.
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