44 THIRTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT

The evaluation of these computerized records is made very difficult
and often impossible by the inability of the records manager to inspect
and compare magnetic records, and by the regrettable lack of under-
standing on the part of data-processing personnel of the necessity for
documenting the business of the State.

Ideally, the records schedule should operate satisfactorily, regard-
less of the record form it governs. As a practical matter, the printing
out of large master files is difficult to justify, solely to provide a record
copy. In addition, the newer magnetic files, unlike paper, can be erased
and re-used. This is often an inviting option for the hard-pressed data
center operator, especially when the tapes and disc records have served
the purpose for which they were created and the magnetic base is needed
for more current operations.

This fundamental change in the nature and form of documentation
has forced the Records Management staff to devote more of its time
than in the past to the matter of records creation. During the year,
the Assistant Records Administrator served on the Data Processing Co-
ordination Committee established by the Comptroller of the Treasury
to coordinate the development of programs for the divisions within his
agency. Thus we had the opportunity to participate in the design and
development of a records program for the Gasoline Tax Division of
the Comptroller's Office.

Although this Division has a high level of automation, its staff
has a strong accounting background and a basic understanding of the
necessity for documenting the activities of the Division.

The Chief of the Gasoline Tax Division appointed an informal
Records Committee, composed of Mrs. Evelyn Friedel, Systems Analyst,
Gasoline Tax Division; Robert Waters, Systems Analyst, Ernst & Ernst;
and Connis O. Brown, Jr., Public Records Examiner, Hall of Records.
The Committee was charged with developing a records program that
would:

1. make existing information more accessible to Gas Tax
personnel;

2. provide for multiple copies of specified records for distribution
inside and outside the Division;

3. be more compact than the present hard-copy system;

4. provide better locators and identifiers for records stored within
and outside the Division;

5. permit the timely disposal of records no longer needed by the
Division; and