[Dspace-general] Use of DSpace for managing archival records?

[MacKenzie Smith]

Hi Ernie,
> We are investigating using DSpace as a respository for institutional
> records.  The proposed scope right now includes documents created in the
> work of public officials, including MS Office documents, PDF files,
> graphics, audio and video, (but not e-mail at this time).  
>
> This seems to differ somewhat from the more common use of DSpace as an
> IR in the sense of providing access to pre-prints, dissertations,
> curriculum materials and other types of documents which are more
> designed for dissemination of information.
>   
I think you are conflating file formats (e.g. Word, PDF, MP3, etc.) with 
genre (pre-prints, articles,
datasets, movies, etc.) There are DSpaces with every conceivable type of 
genre and format...
but maybe your point is really to distinguish content that the 
institution *wants to disseminate*
as opposed to what they *want to manage*. Most DSpace sites (including 
MIT's) are intended
for both. The submitters who submit get the dissemination, and the 
libraries manage that content
for them. Some submitters chose *not* to disseminate... they just want 
their content managed,
and the system handles that fine -- it's strictly a local policy 
decision which you encode in the
access rights for the system.

What DSpace currently lacks for true records management is scheduling... 
there is a little bit
of code in there waiting to be finished and turned on to handle 
retention schedules and the like,
but it isn't current functionality.

MacKenzie

-- 
MacKenzie Smith
MIT Libraries