Hi everyone, I hope some of my wise colleagues can help me out with something going on in my archive. My archive mostly consists of subject files on artists with a link to Woodstock, NY, past and present. Since we are an artists association (in addition to a museum), we have a membership and many people who exhibit in our gallery year round. One my co-workers, who works in the gallery, also helps me out a few hours a week in the archive. She is also an "Active Member" in the association and so often has a piece in one of our shows. One day, when I wasn't working the archive, she came into the archive and removed the file we had on her (which was started on her before I was hired). She told me about it later and said that she did not want to have a file in the archive kept on her. Mostly files on our living artists have information about their careers in the form of newspaper clippings and show postcards and the like. Anyone could collect this information if they really wanted to. I tried to explain to her that the file does not belong to her, since it was created as a part of the archive (and using supplies, paper, and the like paid for by the organization). I tried to explain that she was already a part of the archive and that it isn't my job to second guess the reasons why previous archivists created files on some individuals and not others. The archive does not currently have a collecting policy, although many of the staff are aware that, in terms of the living files, that I'm trying to have files on all individuals who have reached "Active Member" status. So I tried to explain to my co-worker that because she is an "Active Member" in the Association, that she should have a file. But she does not want to have a file. After she removed her file from the archive, I started another file on her, since it doesn't seem to me like she should have the ability to remove herself. The long and short of it is that the other day she discovered her file in the archive and complained to me again. I don't really know what to do. It doesn't seem to me like she should be able to edit herself out of the archive, since she is a part of this organization. But perhaps I'm wrong on this one. I'd appreciate any help anyone could give me with this situation. Please reply off-list. Thanks so much! Emily Emily R. Jones Archivist Woodstock Artists Association A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>