[IARA - State Agency Records Managers] Chat Transcript, March 2022

Chat Transcript, March 31, 2022

(Cleaned-up and mildly re-arranged for continuity.)

Text colors: Black - Amy Robinson, State Records Analyst/moderator. Blue: IARA staff. Green: Records Managers.

---

Amy Robinson (IARA): There we go now, I can see you all, and you guys can see the agenda; perfect. All right, Good Morning! Hi! If you haven't been to one of these before, or we haven't met, I am Amy Robinson. I'm the State Records Analyst, which means that I work with state government agencies on updating or creating your records retention schedules, and then helping you interpret them when you have a records issue that you need assistance with. So it's sort of like writing it and then translating retention schedule speak to normal human English.

And what I usually do at this point is introduce any IARA stuff who've also joined us.

You've met the other Amy [who opened the meeting] but here: I'll turn it over to you for introductions.

• Amy Christiansen (IARA): Yeah, I didn't really get to do a full introduction. You hopped on pretty immediately. So hi! I'm the other Amy. I help county and local government agencies. So where Amy handles you all as state agencies, I handle County/Local.
• Amy Robinson (IARA): And then Sam 's here, if you want to say hi. She's the director of the State Records Center.
• Sam Putnam (IARA): Hi, yeah. I run the Records Center, and most of you probably already know me to some capacity.
• Amy Robinson (IARA): Thank you! And then Jeannine Roe, as always, my faithful companion, is here.
• Jeannine Roe (IARA): Good morning. Jeannine Roe: I'm the Electronic Records Archivist.
• Amy Robinson (IARA): I'm sort of scrolling down the list of people who are here, making sure I don't miss anyone from IARA. But I think that that is all about today. All right, then.
• Jeannine Roe (IARA): I think that's all of us.

Amy Robinson (IARA):  

Let me tell you a little bit about the chat: It is basically just an informal chat where I kind of go over what was sent out in my monthly State Records Managers Bulletin, and also add any news that has sort of happened since that bulletin was sent out. And then I open the floor for you folks to talk.

I sort of put this into 2 pages so you can see the whole agenda at once...

What we talked about in the monthly bulletin was:

• A quick reminder that we have an open Records Manager Survey for any of you who would like to take it, who have not already.

And let me switch sharing here for just a moment so that I can show you the records manager survey. Every time I do that, it moves my meeting screen around. But hopefully you can now see the web page for the Records Manager Survey.

I'm not going to go through the questions on this, because I did that 2 months in a row and you're probably tired of it, but it just asks:

• Some basic identification, so that we can contact you if there are further questions or maybe you say "I want to know how to do Something" and I can contact you to tell you how to do Something.
• Whether you're a Records Manager for a state agency or county/local agency. This is a joint survey that the two Amys created together.
• Then some questions about our bulletins and meetings, and things that you would prefer.
• And just a kind of general question at the end: what can we do to better serve you as records custodians?
• The other one we're fairly interested in is people's interest in having a sort of Mini Conference of Records Managers where we do... Maybe it's like one of these chats, but it's less me going over stuff and talking at you and then giving you a little time to talk, and more us coming up with some questions or discussion topics that come from you guys.

We'd sort of give a discussion topic, and then open the floor, there's a time for y'all to talk about that, and then we give another discussion topic, and we open the floor again. That's something that we've been interested in doing and we want to know if you were interested in doing it, and also, you know, suggested discussion topics: what you'd like to speak to other records managers about.

So that's the Records Manager Survey.

Amy Christiansen (IARA): Thank you. Is there a way you can tell if someone has already filled it out? I think Stacy Hunter can't remember.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Yes. I mean, yes, there is a way that I can tell. But I have the version that you can see open, not the editing version. On our side of it, we can see questions and responses. [pause] Not yet, Stacy, or if you did, it didn't take. Which may happen if this the crashed during the submit button or something like that.

Wait. I just – no, different Stacy. Nobody from Utility Regulatory yet. Okay, let me switch back to the agenda. There we go.

• Then I mentioned that we made an update to the retention schedule review cycle, a very small one. We went from every 4 years to every 5 years.

That gives all of you more time to work on your own plans, if you have any, before you want to come to me, and it gives everyone who was due for review this year a one year Triple A Time in which Amy will not come bug you about retention schedules that are now due for review. I might come bug you about retention schedules that are already in review that we haven't heard anything about it for a while, but no new ones this time. You can come to me, though, anytime you want to make a change to your schedule. I always want to make that clear.

So the effect of that change is very minor and it just gives us all a little bit less work during each year. Because most schedules, when I sent them out, saying "OK. It's been 4 years, do you have any changes?" A large percentage were coming back with "No, we have no changes." And also Amy had no changes, so maybe, you know, 4 years is too short of a period. So we're going to try 5 years for a while.

• And then updates to Forms Management.

And I'm gonna pull up our bulletin: Records Management/State Records Management/Bulletins Archive/March bulletin.

So, changes to Forms Management. I'm not going to speak a lot on this because the Forms Management folks are the experts and the Director of Forms Management happens to be out today, so she couldn't come speak. She probably will set up something later for another month where she can tell you a little bit more about the exciting -- hopefully -- changes that are happening for everyone.

All I'm gonna say is pretty much what was said in the bulletin, which is that they are modernizing all of the processes, going through to see what works and what gums up the works when you guys need changes to your forms. And they're going to push in a direction where agencies are allowed to have more control and do more of the design work on their own forms. We – IARA, but specifically Forms Management – will take more of a just kind of "Review and, yes, this is fine," or "Review and it needs a few changes." And that will hopefully get everyone through the process much quicker, so that your new state forms can be live and online faster.

And I think I am still showing you the agenda, but I don't see the agenda so... there we go.

 

• And then a new meeting invite system: Which I touched on a little bit last month, but that was suggested by Sharmila from the auditor 's office in in our survey and it was a great idea. So now this chat is a fixed recurring monthly chat on the final Thursday of the month. If we ever need to change that for some reason, I know how to do it. I go into Outlook and I changed the date for one individual meeting and then everybody who is on the invite list for this chat gets a separate meeting invitation that says "New chat on Friday, the 27th instead of Thursday, the 26th because of availability." If you are not on our bulletin list -- and you can tell this by never having received a bulletin from me -- shoot me an email and I will add you to it. Our bulletin list consists of all of the official records coordinators, and then anyone who is a records manager -- while not being the official new coordinator for their agency -- who has asked to be on it. So I don't know who isn't on it and wants to be, until you tell me. Just shoot me an email at arobinson at iara.in.gov and let me know you want to be added to our bulletin list and/or the recurring invitation for this chat, and I will do both for you. If you get the bulletins, there is also a set of instructions at the end that tells you how to add yourself to the meeting invitation, but if you don't want to go through those steps, you are welcome to just send me an email and I will add you to the meeting invitation.

One thing that wasn't on the agenda that y'all received, because it happened after that, is that we have some news about the ever-promised State Archives building -- which seems closer and closer to being a reality -- and that is that Governor Holcomb made an announcement about where the location will be.

We don't have a lot of information -- or a lot of information that we're allowed to put out -- yet, but...

I'm gonna switch us to a new view yet again. Share content, Window: Governor Holcomb,  and this is an official announcement from the Governor's Office.

The archive building will be constructed in downtown Indianapolis, not out on the east side, adjacent to the Senate Avenue parking garage on the canal. Which is a site that we have long gone back and forth on whether we will be allowed to have that site, and this appears to be the official "Yes, we will."

And so that you guys can have a visual, I made...some things that I cannot get to because the presenting window is right in front of the top of my web browser here. It's in Adobe Acrobat, so I have to switch windows yet again.

This is where it is. So if you are going down Ohio Street... If you park in the Senate Avenue parking garage, this area on the side where the State Library is across Ohio Street, and the Historical Society is across the canal from it. This is where the Senate Avenue parking garage is, and this is where the new Archives Building is meant to be, right up against the side of the parking garage and going up a number of stories. And, yes, the records will be safely back and up from the canal water.

But the plans look like it's going to be a beautiful and useful building, and the best parts of it are that it's not out at the 30th street facility, and that it is right downtown. Where we are, again, across the canal from the Historical Society and across the street from the State Library, right in the middle of all of the sort of family and history research places that Indianapolis offers so we can make it more convenient for patrons who have to go different places and also we're all right there and we can exchange information with our colleagues in government history or state history much more easily than if the archivists are – 12, I think – miles away at 30th street.

So this looks great. We've seen plans but those are not finalized yet and when that can be shared -- if it can be shared -- we will. I'll just keep continuing to share any news I have that's fit for public consumption about our new building, as it comes along, but I wanted you all to be the first to get to know this new information, before it goes into the April Bulletin.

Amy Christiansen (IARA): Hey, Amy.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Yeah.

Amy Christiansen (IARA): Sharmila asked what the approximate date for the relocation is. Are we allowed to divulge?

Amy Robinson (IARA): I don't necessarily know if we are.

Amy Christiansen (IARA): A few years.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Yeah, in theory -- in theory -- we're looking at maybe 2024 for a move, but so much of that can change in an instant with government plans. So it will not be immediate.

Amy Christiansen (IARA): And then I want to let you know, Teresa Blalock asked if she submitted a survey.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Yes, you did, Teresa. That, I know from memory.

Stop presenting. That will take us back to the agenda. It always takes me a minute to find things, especially when I also have y'all on my mind.

So that was the Archives Building information, which was the last item of news or discussion that I had to offer.

This is the time when I open up the floor to you folks for questions or suggestions. Questions for us, questions about the things that came up here or any other records management questions, and questions and comments for each other. This is always meant to be a place where records managers can trade information with each other, not just sort of be a class where the IARA staff talk at you!

So here is your open forum, and I will mute my mic unless I need to answer a question. And you can unmute yours, and talk, or you can put it in the {text} chat. I will be watching that too.

Maureen Bennett (Professional Licensing): Hi, this is Maureen Bennett with Professional Licensing Agency.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Hi, Maureen!

Maureen Bennett (Professional Licensing): We had a question about... We don't print things a lot, but when we do, I know there's a new process about the artwork.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Is this a state forms question? Sorry to interrupt you, Maureen, but there's nobody here who can answer specific state forms questions today. It's just Records Management staff in the meeting today.

Maureen Bennett (Professional Licensing): Yes, it is.  Okay, thank you.

Amy Robinson (IARA): So I would shoot that question to fmd at iara.in.gov -- that's the open email inbox that all of the Forms Management staff have access to. And you should get -- thank you for putting that in the chat, Jeannine -- you should get a much better answer from them than you would from me.

Maureen Bennett (Professional Licensing): Okay, thank you.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Anybody else have questions, comments, suggestions? And Maureen, I'm sorry I couldn't answer that question. If not, then...

{Reading from the text chat.} Where you find the survey? Hi, Cheri! Cheri Spicer, from... Education Employment Relations, asked how to get to it.

Cheri Spicer (Education Employment Relations): Good job.

Amy Robinson (IARA): I had to remember!

Cheri Spicer (Education Employment Relations): Yeah. {laughs} We just call it EERB.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Let me check the survey page. No, you have not  filled out one, Cheri. The link to the survey: the easiest way to... if you have the March Bulletin, there's a link to the survey right in that email.

Cheri Spicer (Education Employment Relations): OK. I think I do; I have it saved, I believe.

Amy Robinson (IARA): Oh, there's a link to the survey in this agenda, too, and the agenda was attached to the last monthly bulletin. So one way or another, it's coming from the bulletin.

Cheri Spicer (Education Employment Relations): OK. Great.

Amy Christiansen (IARA): It looks like Jeannine also added the survey to the chat.

Amy Robinson (IARA): I keep forgetting that I can do that. That if I need to give you a link, I can stick it straight in the chat.

Okay, so Sharmila asked {in the text chat}, "If the agency's or General Retention schedule does not specify the format of the retention, is it okay to start moving away from paper to electronic? Or revision to your attention schedule is needed?"

It is okay to start moving from paper to electronic, but you should come to us also, and say "We need a revision to our retention schedule." It does not necessarily have to be before you do the moving away, but it should be kind of hand in hand with that.

Or at least you should come to us and say "We're moving away from paper to electronic. And that way. Jeannine and Meaghan, our two electronic records experts, can give you some advice. They can look at which record series you're doing it for. And I can be around too, and I can say, "Yeah, that doesn't necessitate a change to your retention schedule, you're good" or say "The instructions on your retention schedule are a little specific; let's fix that."

But in general: yes, if you are following what is in our two policies, OCPR Policy 20-01 and 20-02. Those 2 policies give us all the ability to say "It doesn't matter what format this is in, doesn't matter what format the retention schedule thinks that it's in. As long as I follow the requirements listed in these policies, I can switch from paper to electronic and destroy the paper after the electronic is created, if it's not one of the two exceptions."

Which would be if this is a permanent record, or a Critical Record, which are also permanent but even more important than plain old permanent records. If that is the case, if it's scheduled for the State Archives or if it is marked as a Critical Record, then we have to work with you to help you figure out what to do for electronic versus paper.  Critical Records are absolutely required to be microfilmed unless the format that the record exists in is impossible to microfilm.

Records going to the Archives do not have to be paper or microfilm; that's why we have Jeannine around. She is our Electronic Records Archivist - although she has many, many other skills that she contributes to the team too! And yes, that's her job, is to help y'all figure out what are the electronic formats that the archives can most easily accept and how to get them there. So something being scheduled to go to the State Archives is not a deal breaker for you moving from paper to electronic, but if that's happening, we want to work with you to figure out how it's going to play out.

And {reading the text chat again} looks like maybe a new question? {Narrator: there was not, in fact, a new question.}

Sharmila Sanka (Auditor of State's Office): OK. Thank you, Amy.  It helps. Always better to communicate ahead. Will work with you soon.

Amy Robinson (IARA): And we are 4 minutes from the end of our meeting and I know all of you have places to be, but if anybody else has questions, {points to self} still here.

And if not, I will wish you all a great day and a great month. I'll probably be in contact with many of you for some helpful records purpose this month, but if not, I will see you all next month, and thank you, thank you all so much for showing up and participating in this.

Stacy Hunter (Utility Regulatory Commission):  {from the meeting text chat} Heading to another meeting! LOTS of great info! Thank you!

Sharmila Sanka (Auditor of State's Office): Thank you all.

Larry Molnar (Revenue): Thank you, Amy.

Teresa Blalock (Labor): Thanks, Amy.

Nicole Joyner (Transportation): {from the meeting text chat} Adios!

Jennifer Miller (Alcohol & Tobacco): {from the meeting text chat} Thank you all.

Therese Bjortomt (Accounts): Thank you, Amy!

Amy Robinson (IARA): And I'll be around until everybody else leaves so that I can keep recording the meeting...

Cindy Herron (Finance Authority): Thank you.

Maureen Bennett (Professional Licensing): Thanks, Amy.

Teresa Blalock (Labor): Thanks.

Matilda Paeper (Family and Social Services): Thank you, thanks.

Marisa Bland (Family and Social Services): Bye, Amy.

Amy Robinson (IARA): ...but I will, however, shut off my camera.