Teaching Archivists About Electronic Records and Automated Techniques: A Needs Assessment

This article assesses the knowledge and skills that archivists need to administer electronic records and apply automated techniques in archives. The author discusses how rapidly changing technology, ongoing debates about the relevance of archival theory, and evolving practices and methods present particular challenges for the development of a curriculum on automation. She outlines a curriculum organized into four broad areas: (1) archives and information technology, (2) basic concepts and terminology, (3) electronic records, and (4) automated techniques, ending with a discussion of the overall learning objectives for such a curriculum.