Records and Information Management: ARMA International's InfoPro

A Wrap on Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Convention Center was definitely the place to be Oct. 20-23 when ARMA International was in the house for its 53rd Annual Conference & Expo. From the pre-conference seminars to the closing general session, the event was unequaled for its quality and breadth of education, its networking opportunities, and vendor interaction.

This year's event attracted nearly 4,700 records and information management (RIM) professionals from around the world – the largest turnout since we were last in Las Vegas in 2000. The Expo floor boasted 200 exhibitors of everything RIM, from filing supplies to software to consulting services.

Videos of the keynote presentations – both of which received high praise – and podcasts of some of the expo educational sessions as well as special interviews may be viewed online at www.arma.org/conference.Check it out today and start planning for next year’s conference and expo in Orlando, Oct. 15-18. We'll be at the Marriott World Center – and plan now, since we're on a Thursday to Sunday schedule!

2008-09 Board Election Update

You may have noticed that there has been a delay in the timing of this year’s election process. Please be assured, the election of members to ARMA International’s Board of Directors will take place as always but on a modified schedule. The association’s leadership has been reviewing the policies and procedures for the election to see if improvements in the election process can be made and to try and attract the next generation of leaders for ARMA.  This has temporarily delayed the call for candidates.  According to Carol Choksy, Chair of the Board of Directors and of the Election Management Committee (EMC), members should receive an announcement within the next couple of weeks detailing the revised deadlines. The updated Officer Candidate Information Filing (OCIF) form also will be posted to the My ARMA section of the website, as is the normal process.

Serving on ARMA International’s Board of Directors can be very rewarding and I encourage you to consider it. The leadership skills you gain on the board are invaluable in the workplace. It’s also a great way to give back to the association and to the profession.

Watch your e-mail inbox for more information.

John P. Frost, CRM
President, ARMA International

What is excellence in records and information management?

What does excellence look like? You’re about to find out.

ARMA International’s Cobalt Award will be given to the first-ever recipient in Las Vegas during the opening session of the annual Conference & Expo October 20th. 

Want some hints about who won? We can tell you this: It’s not an individual. And it’s not a stellar RIM department. It’s the entire organization taking home this trophy. Because when you win the prestigious Cobalt Award, your entire organization has to be at the top of its information management game.

Walking away with this award means that you’ve taken top marks in organizational impact, staff training, program management, compliance, risk management, and use of technology. Sound like a lot to ask of one company? Not in today’s world of information management – that’s the price of admission.

Find out who was up to the challenge in Las Vegas. And start making your plans to win in 2009!

Everything is Miscellaneous – Speaker’s Book Now Available!

Conference speaker David Weinberger will present thoughts from his book Everything is Miscellaneous during the opening conference session in Las Vegas. Now you can order your copy and be prepared for the discussion!

According to Weinberger, it's time to find a better way and records and information management professionals are the logical ones to lead the way. This discussion at times may be a little uncomfortable – okay, for some a lot uncomfortable – but it will definitely give you something to think about.

Autograph opportunities will be available after the opening session on site. Order your copy today!

New Summer Web Seminars Announced

We are pleased to announce several new web seminars for the summer. Topics covered will include: retention schedules, effective communication techniques, digital signatures and implementing workflow processes. Web seminars are a great way to get up-to-date information from industy experts and are free for members. Sign up today!

Available for registration now:

• Developing Retention Schedules for Electronic Records – Carol Stainbrook, July 7-15
• I Say Data, You Say Daata – Pamela Danner, July 21-29

Coming soon:

• Digital Signatures: A Survivor's Epic Tale – Wayne Hoff, August 4-12
• Litigation Hold Best Practices: Implement an Effective Workflow Process – Erika Boggs, August 18-26

Get details at the web seminars page.

What Happens in Vegas...

Find out what you can expect when ARMA International holds its 53rd Annual Conference & Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Monday, Oct. 20 - Thursday, Oct. 23.

Visit www.arma.org/conference and get all the details about this exciting event.      

Plan to start off with one of the pre-conference seminars on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19. Follow that with the full conference & expo which feature more than 100 sessions on a wide range of topics that include:

• Electronic records retention requirements
• The role of e-records management in compliance
• Web 2.0 technologies
• Developing litigation holds
• Delivering effective RIM training
• Marketing your RIM program
• Protecting personal data
• Tying together metadata and taxonomies
• Building collaboration

Whatever your role in managing records and information, this premier event is the place to be. It's where the business and technology of managing records and information converge. So register securely online today and start planning your schedule.

Regardless of what stage of your RIM career you're in, this year's education program offers you great opportunities to grow. To help you decide which education sessions are best for you, search by experience level (1-4) and/or by category (a.k.a. domain). More than 80 education sessions map to ARMA International's RIM Core Competencies. Not sure which level or domains you need the most development? Check out ARMA International's RIM Core Competencies document and RIM Self-Assessment.
 
Remember to invite others on your corporate governance, risk management, and compliance teams. After all, good records and information management requires a cooperative effort among the key players: RIM, IT, legal, and compliance. And there's plenty for everyone at the ARMA 2008 Conference & Expo.

See you in Vegas!

2009 Calls for Proposals Now Open

Want to share your experiences and ideas with our members? Now is your chance. We are looking for individuals to participate in two exciting opportunities available for ARMA International education events: 2009 Collaboration and E-Discovery Seminar and web seminars. We are looking for individuals to provide members with challenging, interactive, learner-focused education.

• 2009 Collaboration and E-Discovery Seminar - This seminar is designed for litigation support teams that need information and training in the area of records and information management for the purpose of mitigating the risk and cost of E-Discovery. These teams can consist of co-workers from Counsel, Legal staff, Compliance, IT, and RIM.  Deadline July 14, 2008

• Web Seminars - ARMA International develops web seminars by seeking subject matter experts whose content can easily be adapted to a 60-minute asynchronous web seminar. Deadline September 30, 2008

Get the details at www.arma.org/learningcenter/proposals/.

If you have additional questions regarding the process or mechanics of submitting, please contact us at education@arma.org.

Tune in to RIM Radio

Did you know that there is an entire radio show dedicated to records and information management? Inside the Records Room is a weekly talk show featuring host Ray Davis. Davis has 16 years of records management experience and is Vice President of the Liberty Bell Chapter of ARMA International. 

We have teamed up with the show to promote select ARMA International books. Davis will interview the author of the book, which will air on his show, and then the book will go on sale in the ARMA bookstore. Previously, the show featured, among others, the records and information management standard, "The Digital Records Conversion Process."

Be sure and tune in Tuesdays to hear the interviews for upcoming books and get the promo code for the sale.

Get more information about Inside the Records Room.

Visit the ARMA bookstore.

Now You DO Have Time to Volunteer!

No, we didn’t find a way to add more hours to the day. What we have done is identified a committee structure that will make it easier to volunteer by minimizing the demand on your time and maximizing the return.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not. At its spring meeting, ARMA International’s Board of Directors discussed recommendations from the Task Force on Committee Structure that would move the association fully into a task force model. That means defined deliverables and time commitments. As a volunteer, you’ll know exactly what you’re expected to do and how long you have to do it.

This model eliminates working committees, which often struggle to determine their charge. With the revised model, the board will create task forces based on the specific expertise needed to achieve specific outcomes. Thus, the focus will be targeted and less shotgun-like.

The task forces will report to one of two board committees. An implementation task force is working on the particulars with the goal of transitioning to the new model July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Come Back To ARMA!

For those of you who have left ARMA or for those of you who aren't members but enjoy the resources available on our website, we invite you to join and take advantage of all the additional resources available to members only.

One of the most valuable and newest tools released is the RIM Self-Assessment. This powerful online tool, which is based on ARMA International's RIM Core Competencies, enables you to determine your strengths and identify gaps in your current skills and knowledge. It will also direct you to the specific resources you need for success at every stage of your career.

Remember, this tool is available to members only so join today! And don't forget the many other benefits of membership, including our award-winning Information Manangement Journal and access to our web seminar archive where you can view previous seminars, just to name a few!

There couldn't be a better time to be a member of ARMA International! Join today and start taking advantage of all the benefits.