This is an excellent question from beginners learning about records management as a profession and ARMA International as an association dedicated to promoting the profession. The text book used by the student in a local college class discusses associations promoting records and information management. For new ARMA members the ARMA International web site provides excellent information on the benefits of ARMA International membership. Unfortunately ARMA does not provide sufficient information in their brochures or website promoting the benefits of belonging to a local chapter.
As a long time member of the local chapter I personally look forward to the monthly meeting of our local chapter. The reason I attend the meeting and programs is quite simple. Where else can you receive a monthly educational program for minimal cost? If your employer does not support the cost of the dinner you may come and sit with the other back benchers and receive an hour of training, free of charge. Since September 2003 my chapter has conducted seven (7) educational programs, six (6) workshops and one half day seminar for it’s membership.
Where else will you get programs and speakers on current records management topics such as “Preservation of Electronic Documents with Historic or Archival Significance”, “The Paperless Patent Application & Tracking System”, “Developing Retention and Disposition Strategies for E-Records”, “The Effect of Recent Privacy Legislation on Public Records Disclosure in Washington State”, “The Evolving Role and Competencies of Records and Information Managers”, “Course 101 – Cleaning up the Mess”, “You’ve got a Lawsuit: Recent Cases of Electronic Records, Instant Messaging and Other Pitfalls of Document Management in the Information Age”, plus workshops on “Instant Messaging”, “How to become a CRM”, “The Morning After: How well did your commercial Records Center Protect your Records”. The programs were presented by members of the chapter or other well known experts in their field.
Where else can you go and meet people working in your profession in an informal setting with the opportunity to discuss common records management challenges?
Where else can you go and talk with knowledgeable vendors in the information management field (equipment and supplies, scanning and microfilm, electronic records, commercial records centers.) without feeling pressured by a sales representative?
Where else can you receive a newsletter that keeps you informed of local events of interest that may directly impact the way you manage your organization’s most valuable asset, information?
Where else can you check out a book on current records management topics? You can avoid purchasing the book and you can keep the book for at least a month. This would be a real benefit for someone new in the profession or an organization with limited funds available to purchase books.
Where else can you go to build your skills and knowledge in the profession that will make you a more valuable employee of your organization?
The local chapters of ARMA provide all of the above services to their members at a nominal annual cost.
Think about it! If we did not have a group of dedicated ARMA members in local chapters, who voluntarily work to promote the profession, we would not have a chapter, educational programs or the other local resources to assist us in becoming knowledgeable in our chosen profession.
I have said in the past and will continue to say it until I retire, that I never leave an ARMA meeting without learning something new.
4 comments:
This post is very helpful for the beginners who are learning RM as it describe all the benefits of being a member of ARMA.It provide environment in which you feel free to share point and listen others.
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Very nice post it's contains a bunch of great tips on crm questions and answer.
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