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What We Do
Here you will find background information about the IRMS – who we are, what we do, and how we can help you.
Our Mission
We are committed to providing our members, and the wider information profession, services and opportunities to support their continuing professional journey and to enhance their skills and knowledge in a safe and supportive community, which welcomes people at all levels of professional experience, from students to Members to Fellows and those with a general interest in the information profession.
Our Values
IRMS members uphold the values of accountability, integrity, trustworthiness, honesty and transparency at our workplace and other professional roles we have.
We strive to act in an ethical and respectful manner, taking full responsibility for our decisions in the profession and ensuring transparency, sustainability and fairness in all our actions.
What is information and records management?
Information and records management (also referred to as ‘records management’) is the collective term for the procedures by which an organisation manages, controls and uses its information assets. It covers information and records in all media and relates to how information is gathered, processed, stored, accessed, used, shared and, ultimately, when and how it is either permanently preserved or destroyed. Information governance is a facet of information and records management, as are business processes improvement and knowledge management.
What is the Information and Records Management Society?
The Information and Records Management Society is the foremost professional association for all information professionals, regardless of their professional or organisational status or qualifications.
Formed in 1983 as the Records Management Society (RMS) with a clear commitment to inclusivity across the profession, the IRMS now has over 1000 members from the UK and around the world who span the public, private and third sectors.
In 2021 the IRMS changed to become a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales (registration number 12914034). The IRMS’ full legal name then became the ‘Information and Records Management Society Limited’.
Membership of the Society is open to all and its membership rates are deliberately designed to be accessible to all.
IRMS Strategy 2023-2026
The IRMS Board reviewed the Society’s strategy in spring 2025 to ensure its ongoing relevance for the Society and the information profession.
Whilst acknowledging we will always have more ambitions than resources, we remain committed to the focus areas we want to pursue and have added a brief section to cover our financial management.
Each area is supported by a Board Director and the operations are led by Executive Directors, who are supported by Officers and Working Groups as relevant. We have prioritised some deliverables and will keep monitoring and reviewing these to ensure the strategy remains relevant to the membership.
We are also inviting Members to input into our work on a project or task basis, without having to commit themselves to joining the Executive Committee or Sub-Committees. This gives Members an opportunity to contribute to the strategy implementation and to use their skills and expertise in a focused way to make our society the best it can be for all Members. To find out more and to discuss joining our Working Groups, please contact the relevant Board Sponsor in the first instance.
Focus area: Internal governance development
Board Sponsor: Vice Chair Internal Governance
– Policy Working Group (volunteers welcome to assist)
Aims:
- Ensure the Society’s internal operations are fit for purpose;
- Ensure our digital technologies and platforms, workflows and tools are up to date, efficient and effective; and
- Maintain and complete the Society’s policy framework and risk register to ensure sustainability, transparency and accountability of our operations for the membership.
Focus area: Membership development
Board Sponsor: Secretary
– Membership Working Group (volunteers welcome to assist)
Aims:
- Foster closer engagement with members, encouraging them to join the Society and its groups, remain active, and participate in the Society through avenues like accreditation and fellowship;
- Clearly define our identity, mission, and values, and to understand our diverse membership types and their respective needs;
- Evaluate our current membership sectors and, where appropriate, engage with new sectors and increase involvement with underrepresented groups, thereby broadening our reach within the profession;
- Establish connections through partnerships such as affiliation with other professional groups related to the information sector, thereby expanding our impact.
Focus area: External engagement and advocacy
Board Sponsor: Vice Chair External Engagement
– Working closely with Commercial Director and Marketing & Communications Director, and Member Content Working group (volunteers welcome to assist)
Aims:
- Develop and maintain relationships with vendors (including training providers) and sponsors ensuring collaborations are mutually beneficial and relevant to the Society and our members;
- Identify and lead new initiatives, bringing together stakeholders and members to discuss new areas impacting the modern information profession;
- Establish and consolidate relationships with other membership organisations in the information profession in order to deliver advocacy and professional development;
- Establish and maintain a dialogue with regulators, political and other decision-makers around the role and the impact of the profession within the wider society; and
- Explore creating a network for members based in other European countries.
Focus area: Marketing and commercial operations
Board Sponsor: Commercial Director
– Working closely with Marketing & Communications Director and relevant working groups (volunteers welcome to assist)
Aims:
- Develop consistent strategies for marketing and communications that result in growth and retention of membership;
- Review our existing communication tools and channels, and update and refresh them so they can be used effectively by all our volunteers in all parts of the Society;
- Engage with sponsor and supplier community to secure funding that supports new content, including webinars and white papers; and
- Manage external professional resources (including social media) to help us deliver marketing and communications messaging.
Focus area: Finance
Board Sponsor: Treasurer and Chair
– Working closely with the Finance Officer
Aims:
- Monitor and plan budgets; and
- Manage financial risks.
Cross-cutting initiatives
Supported by the Board and the Executive
- Provide professional development opportunities to the members, including accreditation, mentoring, skills and education;
- Maintain the integrity of the current content e.g. Schools Toolkit; and
- Identify and source new resources for the benefit of the members.