Records management in this day and age, is becoming a highly valued field. Such atrocities as the World Trade Center and natural occurrences like hurricane Andrew are making the management of vital records for businesses and towns alike a priority. While paper is one of the most popular methods, it is not always reliable when disaster recovery comes into play. Proof of that can be seen with the pictures and footage of the millions of office papers flying around the streets of New York amidst the pandemonium. The main ways include the families of paper, digital electronic, and microform (Britannica).
II. Paper.
Paper is one of the most traditional and popular methods to manage records. Since paper is the original, nothing can compare to it. Also known as a "hard copy," paper is easily handled because of its weight, which is next to nothing when singled out. It can also be easily reproduced, read, and bought in bulk. Paper can be found in the mediums of books and sheets, and it is obtained from vegetable fibers, usually wood. When the earth and the methods of obtaining this paper became a worry, convenient, recycled paper was then substituted. Most businesses now have two garbage pails, one for white paper and another for "other." Many companies, such as Johnson & Johnson, use paper companies that are "eco-friendly." .
Even though it is popular, paper itself is subject to its downsides and abuses as well. Document care when concerned with paper is an important issue. If the paper is kept neat and pressed and correctly stored in a file folder, there will not be a problem retaining that record. If however the paper is abused, such as being subject to sunlight, which can cause fading and other accidents, like a spilled coffee cup, the longevity of that record is not going to be very long. Cost is also a concern with paper. Along with file folders and labels, file cabinets are also needed.
