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

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