Electronic Records Research 1997: Resource Materials
Compilation Copyright, Archives & Museum Informatics 1998
Article Copyright, Author
ROBERT F. WILLIAMS Cohasset Associates, Inc.
3806 Lake Point Tower
505 North Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60611-3407
United States rfwcohas@mcs.net
Robert F. Williams is president of Cohasset Associates, Inc., one of the nation's foremost management consulting firms specializing in document-based information management. Under his direction, Cohasset Associates has more than 25 years of experience and an unprecedented award-winning record of accomplishments providing consulting services to more than 200 clients throughout the United States. Cohasset Associates' professional services focus on 1) records management -- reducing document-based legal risks and meeting all legal responsibilities --, 2) document imaging systems, 3) the legal issues associated with the management of analog and digital documents and 4) the education on all aspects of records management.
The Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM) has described Mr. Williams as a "visionary" records management consultant who, for more than two decades:
"has achieved the highest professional standards as he successfully addressed a wide diversity of records management problems -- from the development and implementation of complete records management programs to state-of-the-art electronic imaging systems. Mr. Williams' innovative conceptualization and presentation of important document-based information management issues has been imaginative, incisive and very beneficial."
He is a member of the AIIM (Association of Information and Image Management) Company of Fellows and ARMA (Association of Records Managers and Administrators) Company of Fellows. He is the only person to be a Fellow of both organizations. He has received the highest awards of individual professional achievement from both AIIM and ARMA, the AIIM Award of Merit and the ARMA/ICRM Emmett Leahy Award. He was designated in 1997 by Imaging World magazine as one of the 50 most important speakers in the imaging industry. Mr. Williams is also the editor and publisher of two definitive legal research studies, Legality of Optical Storage and Legality of Microfilm, and their on going updating services. These two publications have assisted thousands of electronic imaging and microfilm users to understand and comply with the multitude of federal and state media admissibility laws. For both lawyers and information managers, Legality of Microfilm and Legality of Optical Storage are the most comprehensive single sources of information available on the legal admissibility and regulatory compliance of non-paper records. He is also a Contributing Editor for Imaging World Magazine. Mr. Williams is also a widely acclaimed educator and highly sought speaker. He has given more than 1,000 presentations on a spectrum of document-based information management topics. Mr. Williams is the on-going co-chairman of the only national conference on Managing Electronic Records. He is a frequent "keynoter" at conferences and executive briefings.