NARA Issues Web 2.0 Records Management Bulletin
Press Release · Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Washington, DC

How should government agencies embrace the vast array of new social media? The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has come to the rescue with guidance on managing records in Web 2.0/Social Media Platforms. This new bulletin [http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/bulletins/2011/2011-02.html] is available online.

Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero, a blogger and Tweeter himself, said, “Social media and other Web 2.0 tools can help further transparency and Open Government. The National Archives recognizes that Federal agencies are exploring these opportunities for collaboration and engagement. This Bulletin and the Web Study[http://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/resources/web2.0-use.pdf] that we released last month stress the need for agencies to consider their records management requirements when developing their presence on these platforms.”

This NARA bulletin was written from feedback garnered during the preparation of the recently issued NARA web study, in addition to discussions with numerous stakeholders, including the Federal Records Council and the Social Media Subcouncil of the Federal Web Managers Council. Social media platforms examined include internal and external blogs, wikis, social networking, and other collaborative web-based technologies. Six Federal agencies were assessed on their use of and policies regarding Web 2.0 tools. Representatives from an additional 19 Federal agencies participated in a focus group session.

As Web 2.0/social media platforms continue to evolve, NARA will work with agency records officers and web managers to provide additional records management resources. For more information, see NARA’s National Records Management Program Blog, Records Express [http://blogs.archives.gov/records-express/].

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For Press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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