[SOA] CoSA Statement on Digital Access Partnerships

[Janet Carleton]

From: "Victoria Walch" <vwalch at statearchivists.org>
To: <COSHRC-L at lists.Maine.edu>, <archival_leaders at aall.archivists.org>,
         <archeduc at lists.archivists.org>,
         "Archives Listserv" <archives at forums.archivists.org>,
         "Nancy Perkin Beaumont" <nbeaumont at archivists.org>,
         <RECMGMT at LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>, <LOCALGOVT_ARCHIVES at lists.Maine.edu>
Subject: [AALL] CoSA Statement on Digital Access Partnerships
Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 12:01:35 -0500
Organization: Council of State Archivists
Sender: archival_leaders-owner at aall.archivists.org
Reply-To: archival_leaders at aall.archivists.org

The Council of State Archivists is pleased to announce that it has issued a 
"Statement on Digital Access Partnerships." A full copy of the statement is 
available at 
<http://www.statearchivists.org/issues/ocp/>http://www.statearchivists.org/issues/ocp/

The statement was developed by the CoSA Task Force on Online Content 
Providers (OCP) and approved by the CoSA Board of Directors on Thursday, 
April 19, 2007. It is intended to provide guidance to state archives for 
engaging in partnership negotiations with online content providers such as 
Ancestry.com, iArchives, the Genealogical Society of Utah, and others.

We believe that the advice it offers also will be helpful to other record 
holders, especially local governments, who bear responsibility for public 
records.

Statement of Intent (from the document):
"The members of the OCP Task Force believe that private/public partnerships 
with online content providers present tremendous opportunities for state 
archives and for the content providers. Such partnerships also present 
challenges, which include: ensuring long-term access to and preservation of 
the records for state archives users, keeping public records public, 
protecting the rights of citizens, ensuring the soundness of tax dollar 
investment and providing a transparent view of the government process. Each 
state and local government will have different options to consider when 
discussing partnerships with private vendors. This Task Force intends to 
outline these contractual considerations and provide possible solutions or 
examples as developed by individual states and the vendor."

The CoSA Board has encouraged the state archives to use the statement if 
and when their states engage an online content provider (OCPs). We have 
also asked them share it with local governments in their states. We know 
that many local governments have already been contacted by OCPs and believe 
that the guidance provided here will also be applicable at the local level.

The Task Force on Online Content Providers will continue to work under the 
leadership of chair, Mark Harvey (MI), to develop additional resources. The 
Task Force will be discussing this statement with the OCPs themselves, with 
local government associations at the national level, and with genealogical 
and other user groups.

The Task Force would appreciate hearing about experiences in negotiating 
contracts with online content providers. Feel free to contact Mark Harvey 
(<mailto:mharveym at mi.gov>mharveym at mi.gov) or CoSA President Karl Niederer 
(<mailto:pres at statearchivists.org>pres at statearchivists.org ) with any 
information or questions or information you might have.

The CoSA Board of Directors commends the Task Force on Online Content 
Providers for its rapid response to a this important challenge, and for 
providing an excellent foundation for all of us to use in building digital 
access partnerships.  A listing of all state archivists and staff who 
participated in the Task Force's deliberations appears at the end of the 
Statement.  They deserve our collective thanks.


______________
   Janet M. Carleton - <carleton at ohio.edu> - 740/597-2527
Digital Initiatives Coordinator / Women's Studies Bibliographer
      Alden 235A, Ohio University Libraries, Athens, Ohio
              <http://www.library.ohiou.edu/> 
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