What are some advantages and disadvantages of maintaining records as images?
• Ability to use very high-density storage media. • Shorter retrieval time than hard copy when the images are well indexed. • Multiple users and access levels are possible. • Low shipping costs and ease of information dissemination. • Ease of use of imaged copies of records in vital records and disaster recovery plans. • Legal uses. Organizations that need to retrieve information efficiently during discovery and litigation may find that using imaged records can assist in the effort. • Ease of making copies of the imaged records. • Digital images don’t lose quality from generation to generation. Well made copies and derivatives can be as good as the original images. Disadvantages include: • Digital images are not human-readable without computer equipment. • Significant equipment costs, including hardware and software. • Potential for hardware and software obsolescence. Generally, systems change every 18 months to 5 years, software changes every 2-3 years, and the life expectancy of medi
