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With the rapid development of information technology, the field of archives management is facing a critical moment of transformation from traditional paper archives to electronic archives (Dinneen & Julien, 2020; Gilliland-Swetland, 2014). In recent years, electronic archives have shown significant advantages in storage, management efficiency, and convenience, but there are still many challenges the parallel management of paper archives, especially with respect to standardization, data exchange, information sharing, and security management. As a solution to these problems, the dual-track governance model of paper archives and electronic archives has gradually become a hot topic in academia and practice (Abacı, 2022).
In traditional archives management, paper archives are widely used because they have long the standard. However, paper archives are faced with limitations, including insufficient storage space, low retrieval efficiency, and restrictions on information access (Lin et al., 2019; Triana et al., 2024). In contrast, electronic archives have gradually replaced paper archives by virtue of the convenience they provide with respect to data sharing, storage flexibility, and speed of information retrieval (Li, 2022). Despite the advances in technology electronic archives offer, challenges in standardization, compatibility, and security remain, making the collaborative governance of paper archives and electronic archives particularly complex (Li, 2024).
At present, many archives management institutions have been exploring the integration of paper and electronic archives management systems. Through innovative means, such as the introduction of an automatic data entry system, the promotion of metadata (structured descriptive information about archival records, e.g., title, date, and format), standardization construction, and the use of cloud storage technology, some units have achieved initial but measurable progress—such as shorter filing times, improved metadata consistency, and partial process automation—in the collaborative management of paper and electronic archives. (Wang et al., 2021). However, from the perspective of the archives industry, although some institutions have achieved governance results through independent innovation, the establishment of the dual-track governance mechanism is still in the exploratory stage, especially with respect to standard unity, process integration, and information sharing. Many challenges remain (Li & Zhang, 2015). Therefore, how to establish an efficient and intelligent governance model to promote the seamless connection between paper archives and electronic archives has become a core issue that needs urgent resolution. Standards established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), such as ISO 15489-1:2016 (ISO, 2016), provide a conceptual and normative basis for records management, underscoring the importance of standardized governance principles.
The purpose of this study was to examine an innovative model of collaborative governance for paper and electronic archives within the context of the dual-track system and to propose practical solutions.
First, I review the theoretical basis of dual-track archives management and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the existing governance model, with a focus on data standardization, system compatibility, and process integration (Blomer, 2015). Second, by examining actual cases, I propose an innovative governance model that is based on metadata-driven and intelligent processing (Touray, 2021). Finally, I discuss the applicability of the model within China’s national context and provide targeted improvement strategies as references for both theoretical research and practical operations.