Subject: CoSA Statement on Digital Access Partnerships The Council of State Archivists is pleased to announce that it has issued a "Statement on Digital Access Partnerships." A full copy of the statement is available at http://www.statearchivists.org/issues/ocp/ <http://www.statearchivists.org/issues/ocp/> The statement was developed by the CoSA Task Force on Online Content Providers (OCP) and approved by the CoSA Board of Directors on Thursday, April 19, 2007. It is intended to provide guidance to state archives for engaging in partnership negotiations with online content providers such as Ancestry.com, iArchives, the Genealogical Society of Utah, and others. We believe that the advice it offers also will be helpful to other record holders, especially local governments, who bear responsibility for public records. Statement of Intent (from the document): "The members of the OCP Task Force believe that private/public partnerships with online content providers present tremendous opportunities for state archives and for the content providers. Such partnerships also present challenges, which include: ensuring long-term access to and preservation of the records for state archives users, keeping public records public, protecting the rights of citizens, ensuring the soundness of tax dollar investment and providing a transparent view of the government process. Each state and local government will have different options to consider when discussing partnerships with private vendors. This Task Force intends to outline these contractual considerations and provide possible solutions or examples as developed by individual states and the vendor." The CoSA Board has encouraged the state archives to use the statement if and when their states engage an online content provider (OCPs). We have also asked them share it with local governments in their states. We know that many local governments have already been contacted by OCPs and believe that the guidance provided here will also be applicable at the local level. The Task Force on Online Content Providers will continue to work under the leadership of chair, Mark Harvey (MI), to develop additional resources. The Task Force will be discussing this statement with the OCPs themselves, with local government associations at the national level, and with genealogical and other user groups. The Task Force would appreciate hearing about experiences in negotiating contracts with online content providers. Feel free to contact Mark Harvey ([log in to unmask]) or CoSA President Karl Niederer ([log in to unmask] ) with any information or questions or information you might have. The CoSA Board of Directors commends the Task Force on Online Content Providers for its rapid response to a this important challenge, and for providing an excellent foundation for all of us to use in building digital access partnerships. A listing of all state archivists and staff who participated in the Task Force's deliberations appears at the end of the Statement. They deserve our collective thanks. To UNSUBSCRIBE, change options, or subscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-rol.html (If using Netscape, must have version 6.1 or higher to view the above page)