This seems very silly to me.  If having a file on her upset her she should have taken it up with either you or whoever is your supervisor or overseer.  Why did see feel like she needed to take it on the sly?  Does she think that stealing the file is going to prevent the organization from creating a file on her in the future?  You after all attempted to create a file on her when she was still around to steal it again--what is stopping a future archivist from starting a file on her when she is no longer around to prevent it?  I would treat it for what it is--a theft. I would tell her in no uncertain terms that is what you consider it.  I would consider not allowing her physical access to archival collections--for all you know she can be systematically weeding the collections of other things to which she objects.  Sounds a bit drastic but she is the one who broke the trust.  I would at the very least take this up with whatever entity oversees the Archives in the organization.  It needs to be addressed in an official  manner.  If you let her get a way with it what is stopping other members from demanding their files be removed--or having her remove them on the sly.  Perhaps physical access to the collection needs to be restricted and a policy needs to be written on how to handle access to the collection. 
 
Andrea Matlak
Archivist
American Dental Association
Chicago, IL
 

Dean DeBolt <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
You are dealing with two issues: the right of the archives to create
biographical files (just like libraries create vertical files) and the
right of an individual to privacy. Given our society's numerous laws
granting living individuals the right to remove themselves from
telephone books, city directories, to redact certain items from online
databases, and the like, I would say that the individual and their
lawyer could probably make a good case. I do believe theft of the
file was indeed theft, and I would tell her to
return it. If she says you are not to have a file on her, then I would
remove it (and
probably from public access rather than destruction).

Yes, any archives/library can create a biographical file on someone, but
then there is the political risk that the person may not want this.

Dean


Dean DeBolt
University Librarian, Special Collections
John C. Pace Library, University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL 32514-5750
850-474-2213
[log in to unmask]

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