Records and Information
Management Month, 2026
Records and Information Management (RIM) Month, is celebrated worldwide in April each year. Many records and information managers in local government organizations use this opportunity to raise awareness and educate staff and leadership about the importance of information management through creative, unique promotions within their organization. The goal is to emphasize the significance and relevance of organizing and maintaining records and data to manage information efficiently and effectively.
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Robyn Biggar, Manager of Information Governance, City of Maple Ridge
Let the Record Show the Importance of Information Governance
Every local government employee creates, uses, and manages information—and plays a role in ensuring it is governed responsibly and in compliance with legislated standards.
To keep staff informed about requirements and expectations, the City of Maple Ridge has launched “For the Record”, a quarterly staff newsletter. It features archive stories, privacy and legal updates, and practical records management tips. Beyond the “what” and “why,” it uses storytelling to show how strong information governance preserves our civic identity and strengthens community through shared history.
This communication is especially important as the City adopts large language models (LLMs) and other generative AI tools. While these technologies can improve local government work, they can also introduce risk if not implemented and used carefully—impacting accuracy, reliability, accountability, integrity, and compliance. Ongoing staff awareness (including through the newsletter) is a practical way to reduce organizational risk and support responsible use.
On April 1, staff will also release an “Off the Record” edition to mark April Fools’ Day and celebrate Records and Information Management Month, using humour to boost engagement. Sample headlines include: “HEARTBREAKING: Long-anticipated time capsule full of expired A&W coupons” and “Records Centre revealed to be portal to Paper Realm.”
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Rebecca Narinesingh, Corporate Records/FOI Specialist/Deputy Corporate Officer, City of West Kelowna
The City of West Kelowna is celebrating Records and Information Management (RIM) Month with the launch of its new and enhanced Records & Information Management Program, along with a series of workshops designed to support staff in effectively managing their records. These workshops include From Chaos to Control: Email Management Made Easy, OneDrive Management, and Spring Cleaning Your Records!
The objective of RIM Month is to promote a strong workplace culture that prioritizes the effective management of records and information across the City. The Corporate Records Team has worked diligently to develop and implement new policies, guidelines, manuals, and resources, which will be rolled out throughout the month of April. These updated policies support the evolving records management environment by increasing awareness and compliance, particularly for the management of electronic records.
To round out the month and further encourage active participation, CWK will host an Email Management Contest at the end of April, encouraging best practices for managing emails and helping staff reduce inbox sizes through the appropriate capturing and deletion of records.
