The power of social media is reshaping business practices, and it has greatly influenced the way we manage records. As part of its Web Seminar series, ARMA International is offering a free webinar presented by San José State University Associate Professor Patricia C. Franks, Ph.D., CRM.

During the one-hour webinar entitled “Social Media Governance: Balancing Risks and Rewards,” Franks discusses the risks and rewards of social media for business use and identifies best practices, including current tools and services, for governing social media records. The webinar is available for ARMA members and nonmembers. Although there is no cost to view the webinar, the registration deadline is October 26, 2012.

The webinar complements a new technical report published by ARMA and developed by a team led by Franks. “Using Social Media in Organizations” explores best practices when implementing social media records management plans. Topics include governance, infrastructure, technology, processes, training, and evaluation. The report is available on the ARMA website.

Franks also authored an article ARMA recently published as part of its Hot Topics series. In “Disruptive Technologies: Governing Them for E-Discovery,” Franks discusses how new technologies displace established ones, bringing changing expectations and new challenges to today’s business environment. The article describes the challenges encountered by businesses that use social media, mobile devices, and cloud-based services.

Franks is an associate professor and coordinator for the fully online Master of Archives and Records Administration program at the San José State University School of Library and Information Science.