by Andrew Ysasi – July 6, 2021
For those in the Information Governance and Records and Information Management industry, you know or have heard of William Saffady, PhD. The books he has provided have helped thousands worldwide wrap their arms around records management, and his latest release does not disappoint. Version 4 of his book was released on April 1, 2021.
The book is a must-read for attorneys, compliance officers, risk managers, and stakeholders who interact with records management functions, as stated in the preface. His book is also used in academia by library science, archives management, information systems, and office administration learning.
The book is separated into seven chapters:
Chapter 1 – Records Management as a Business Discipline
Chapter 2 – Preparing Retention Schedules I: Collecting Data
Chapter 3 – Preparing Retention Schedules II: Making Retention Decisions
Chapter 4 – Managing Paper Records
Chapter 5 – Document Imaging (Scanning)
Chapter 6 – Managing Digital Documents
Chapter 7 – Protecting Essential Records
His book is practical, not theoretical, so if you are looking for specifics, this is the book you need. There are many resources throughout the book and in the endnotes with references from across the globe. Organizations referenced in the book are ARMA International, IRMS, RIMPA, SAA, ASIS&T, AIIM, ACA, ARANZ, ACARM, NIRMA, and AHIMA. These organizations consist of information governance, records management, information technology, archives, health information management, nuclear information records managers, and government records professionals.
Each chapter ends with a summary of significant points and notes from Dr. Saffady, so if you are looking for a new guide on managing a records management program, this book is it. One area that I would like to see Dr. Saffady address is emerging technology matters related to records management, such as machine learning and managing records using blockchain technology. However, he does reference data science and big data in Chapter 1.
You can find his book on Amazon.
