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AT THE CORE
THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES:
* the development of the commercial records center industry
* how increased document creation and new laws and regulations for records retention fueled the growth of commercial records centers
* how technology may impact the industry in the future
For approximately 50 years, the commercial records center (CRC) business has evolved from what began as a repository of mostly inactive or, as some have said, "dead," records into a much more interactive, high-tech relationship with its clients. Employing some of the latest computer technologies, CRCs now offer very sophisticated computer-based indexing, file tracking, fireproof vault storage of computer media, electronic vaulting of customers' data, disaster recovery, and contingency planning programs, as well as a number of other new services (e.g., consulting) and products. This article takes a look at how the CRC industry began and how it has developed over the last half century. It also addresses some of the new technologies, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and global positioning satellite (GPS), to learn how new technological developments may impact the future of the CRC business. Far from being in decline, CRC is a growth industry.
Development of U.S. Records Management Programs
Until the mid-1930s, no formal records management programs were in place in the United States. The federal government and private businesses kept records in whatever form they felt appropriate without the benefit of retention schedules, disposition guidelines, or other formal information life-cycle procedures. The federal government, however, recognized that some controls needed to be implemented to manage the massive volume of U.S. government files being created. In 1934 the National Archives was established with the primary task of identifying federal records that should be retained as opposed to those that might be eligible for disposal. By 1937, the National Archives was completing the initial survey of federal government records and was becoming aware of a serious lack of uniformity of procedures and an enormous amount of duplication in the records programs of different agencies. During World War II, the U.S. government experienced a proliferation of new agencies and departments. Along with that growth, the government also experienced an unprecedented explosion in the volume of documents it needed to create, store, and manage.
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