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In this article the authors explain how a new system has been designed to work in conjunction with existing databases to ensure a consistency of approach to retention scheduling across a variety of media and formats. The system allows for the whole life‐cycle of a record to be pre‐defined at both record series and file level. The reports produced by the system enhance a retention schedule programme that not only meets the needs of the records manager, but also serves as a ‘user‐friendly’ point of contact between himself and the users he serves. The authors will briefly explain the existing approach taken to retention scheduling at Pfizer Central Research, Sandwich and will demonstrate how this new ‘Electronic Retention Schedule’ (ERS) will enhance the current system of publishing advisory ‘guidelines’ for users and implementing ‘annual reviews’ of record holdings held in a number of different storage formats.

The Internet features more and more frequently in the media as the impact of the information society grows and the traffic on the information highway expands. In this article the authors explore the ways in which the Internet is affecting the field of records management. They describe the Internet, the three methods of connecting to the Net and discuss the growth of e‐mail with particular reference to its status and retention. The Internet also provides, via list servers, a forum for exchange of information amongst records managers and the most active lists are identified with their addresses given in an Appendix. The authors conclude by arguing that, although, at the present time, the idea of managing or controlling the Net runs counter to the freedom of expression which is its principal characteristic, in time the records manager will take on a greater role in preparing users to use the NET by good record‐keeping practices within business as well as encouraging fellow professionals to tap into a valuable resource for their own professional development.

The technology of the Internet is increasingly used internally by organisations. The intranet, a private internal network, has become an essential tool in the workplace. It allows the members of such organisations to share information with colleagues who may be geographically separated, and provides a medium for up to date information. At Pfizer Central Research, Records Management are using the intranet to improve communication with user departments, and to develop more effective processes. This paper describes the pages designed by the author, and provides examples of how they are used by Records Management and by user departments. It concludes that the intranet is a great opportunity for records managers to improve the service that they provide to their organisation.

Records management has undergone an unprecedented process of change in the last few years. This has been chiefly due to the proliferation of information technology and the rapid pace of organisational change. It is my belief that current criticisms of the retention schedule as a records management tool are largely justified because the traditional retention schedule programme has failed to keep pace with these changes. This paper proposes that the full potential of the retention schedule has not been recognised in many organisations. It argues that if it is possible to identify overall retention requirements at a series level it should also be possible to identify other properties and descriptive values that can also be assigned to each series in advance of records creation It then discusses the range of such properties that it is possible to define at this point and begins to explore how, if automated, these values can act not only as the basis of future systems design, but can also be used as the point of control for virtually all records management functions.

Until very recently an immense USSR comprised fifteen republics. Now the three Baltic states are free of Moscow's direction, and an independent Ukraine has joined Belarus and the former Russian Soviet Federated Republic (RSFSR) as the hub in a commonwealth of former republics that have declared themselves independent or “sovereign,” but federated through agreements based on economics or defense considerations. Whether one concentrates on the story of Baltic freedom following the abortive 1991 coup, the subsequent dissolution of central governmental power, or the lasting enmities among some of the peoples in Central Asia and the Caucasus, the pivot around which this new interest or heightened curiosity turns is the recent great change within the late Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Presents an extract from Lauchlin Currie's memoirs, explaining his time at Harvard University.

President Bill Clinton has had many opponents and enemies, most of whom come from the political right wing. Clinton supporters contend that these opponents, throughout the Clinton presidency, systematically have sought to undermine this president with the goal of bringing down his presidency and running him out of office; and that they have sought non‐electoral means to remove him from office, including Travelgate, the death of Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster, the Filegate controversy, and the Monica Lewinsky matter. This bibliography identifies these and other means by presenting citations about these individuals and organizations that have opposed Clinton. The bibliography is divided into five sections: General; “The conspiracy stream of conspiracy commerce”, a White House‐produced “report” presenting its view of a right‐wing conspiracy against the Clinton presidency; Funding; Conservative organizations; and Publishing/media. Many of the annotations note the links among these key players.

Two new members of staff are joining BLRDD in September: Lawrence Howells, who is at present working in the Science Reference and Information service, will become a project officer, and Ros Cotton, who is currently working in the Library Association Library, will be the new dissemination officer.

All items listed may be borrowed from the Aslib Library, except those marked, which may be consulted in the Library.

Voss Instruments Ltd., part of the Sheen Instruments Group, last month signed a contract to supply over 150 instruments to a Middle East importer. The order, which is the largest export order gained in the history of the company, consists of laboratory stirrers, water flocculators and multi‐bank magnetic stirrers.