Although the computer literature is full of stories about successful imaging (optical disc) applications, records management professionals have countless stories about failed ones. As the technology matures, archivists and records managers are increasingly being asked to join imaging application development teams. How can these disciplines contribute to a successful application? This paper suggests some indicators archivists and records managers can use in evaluating imaging applications and some questions they can pose to improve the chances that the application will be a successful one. It is not the goal here to look at long-term storage and transportability issues; rather, the essay concentrates on what records professionals can do to improve the odds that an imaging application—either their own or one whose records they may someday inherit—is a success.

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