Diplomatics, Weberian Bureaucracy, and the Management of Electronic Records in Europe and America

During the past several years, as archivists worldwide have begun to struggle with the problems of managing electronic records, two traditions of archival theory and organizational practice which remain very strong in Europe have become prominent features of the solutions being developed there. In this paper these theoretical influences on archival practice are explored and the way in which they are shaping European approaches to the challenges of electronic records is examined. The significance of European theory and practice for electronic records management in America is then considered.