David Fletcher on the National Archives and Records Administration's recent issuance of an RFI regarding electronic records: "The problem is that so many of the issues associated with electronic records are not technological, but political and legal.  However, the formating issue still remains a formidable challenge.  If NARA can settle on an acceptable format, it should go a long way towards settling on a standardized e-records management format which is really needed." 

This is a particularly salient observation for electronic records in the courts, whose recordkeeping practices are governed by overlapping statutes and constitutional duties regarding open access.  I suspect that the standards being developed by LegalXML will help shape a framework for archiving court filings, transcripts, contracts, statutes, etc.  The NARA standards will be worth watching.

11:32:35 AM