Can you find your insurance policy or DVD operating instructions when you need them? Do you have any interest in your Genealogy (family history), practice the craft phenomenon of Scrapbooking or visit your local library? All of these things relate to the use or maintenance of information at the most basic level.
May 2006 is the inaugural Information Awareness Month. The theme for 2006 is “Personal Records”.
The purpose of Information Awareness Month is to increase awareness in the general public of the breadth of the industry and the importance of properly maintaining good records and information as it relates to everyone from global Corporations through to small business and even the homemaker. Legislation and practices govern all aspects of your life – privacy, freedom of information, identity theft, fraud, taxation – all relating to the use and misuse of information.
Originally an initiative of the Records Management Association of Australasia (RMAA) Information Awareness Month has grown into a collaborative event between various bodies within the records/archiving/information management community including the RMAA, the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA), National Archives of Australia (NAA), Health Information Management Association of Australia (HIMAA), Institute for Information Management (IIM) and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). This commonality of purpose reflects the fact that the various bodies identified are recognised as some of the most widely respected professional bodies in the information management community within not only Australasia but worldwide.
“Information Awareness Month (IAM) will be a major collaborative event on the 2006 calendar. It showcases the various streams of information management and highlights the specialist areas. The ultimate goal of IAM is to ensure the importance and value of information management to the community and to the world as a whole.” said RMAA’s CEO Kate Walker.
Events are being run throughout May in all states and territories. Details will be available on the RMAA website www.rmaa.com.au after Easter as well as on a number of the collaborating bodies websites.
In addition a Personal Continuity Plan has been developed for free public use. Like a Business Continuity Plan it outlines things that anyone can do to help keep their information safe and easy to find in an emergency and can be downloaded from the RMAA website during May.
Any queries in relation to Information Awareness Month can be directed to the RMAA’s CEO, Kate Walker on Mob: 0409250795 or the Marketing & Event Manager, Kristen Keley on Ph 08 82813302.
