ABSTRACT
Records appraisal is often thought of as something that archivists do near the end of the records life cycle to determine which records contain information of enduring value and should therefore be placed in archives. While this is the situation one finds in far too many instances, it is not the best method for adequately documenting history, and additionally it reflects a complete ignorance of the importance of managing recorded information. The practice of determining that a record has value at the end of its life cycle is uneconomical and inefficient. It inevitably results in records with significant value being destroyed and records with little value being retained.
