Onsite Versus Off-Site Storage Pros and Cons: In 2020, COVID 19 affected the records management discipline, causing many organizations to digitize and organize their records to allow knowledge workers continued access. That most documents are born digital does promote easy document exchange and access, but these documents can increase the amount of management needed because of the ease of records creation in contemporary online work. Now that our reactions to the COVID 19 pandemic forced the issues of digitization and access to records and archives in business and industry, storage space for all that data is now a primary consideration that must answer the needs for access, retrieval speed, security, ownership, and ensure reasonable costs and maintenance of various types of records (e.g., physical and electronic). Herein is an examination of the pros and cons of onsite and off-site storage options in each of the areas of responsibility that records management storage solutions must address.

Melissa Prunty Kemp: “I am a MARA student in the iSchool and will graduate in May 2023. I began my career in museum history and curation, then pursued higher education. I have completed a 30-year career in college English instruction and education management. As a life-long academic, I have many interests, two of which are Black History and Archives and Records Management. My motto is ‘digitize the world and give it access.’”