Before digitization became the norm, one paper memo may have been copied just a handful of times. Now, as electronic records are replacing their paper counterparts, one copy can easily become hundreds, creating a records management challenge, said Kristopher Stenson, state records manager at the Oregon State Archives. Besides the multiplying number of digital-born records, the software and hardware meant to store and maintain records grows obsolete over time, making it difficult to ensure a document's associated provenance and other metadata is properly conveyed in files, Michelle Gallinger, the state electronic records initiative coordinator for the Council of State Archives, said in an email. Another challenge lies in the lack of understanding among state agencies about digital preservation techniques and best practices and the unclear roles and responsibilities around records management, she said. "Exacerbating these issues is the reality that effective electronic records management remains a low priority and largely underfunded mandate in state government, and many existing digital preservation tools, primarily open-source tools, cannot be supported in existing state/territorial IT infrastructures," she said.