The Business of Government and the Future of Government Archives

Several trends affecting government will influence government archives and records programs in the near term. Government is flattening, becoming smaller and more intergovernmental in nature. The increasing use of information technology and telecommunications in government makes its records more vulnerable, more valuable commercially, and more accessible. Government archives will take on new roles as regulator, negotiator, and advocate for the management of records. To be successful in this volatile future, government archives must build expertise in management issues, such as privacy, security, access and retrieval, and long-term retention, and closer ties with constituents within and outside the government.