To quote the Code of Ethics (available at the SAA website - http://www.archivists.org): VI. Access Archivists strive to promote open and equitable access to their services and the records in their care without discrimination or preferential treatment, and in accordance with legal requirements, cultural sensitivities, and institutional policies. Archivists recognize their responsibility to promote the use of records as a fundamental purpose of the keeping of archives. Archivists may place restrictions on access for the protection of privacy or confidentiality of information in the records. There really is no issue. As the Code states "without discrimination or preferential treatment." chuck hill University Archivist Eastern Kentucky University ----Original Message Follows---- From: Anne Slater <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: Anne Slater <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Thorny Issue Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2006 10:48:16 -0400 Let me preface this by saying that I am a retired circulation librarian who has taken on her church's partially catalogued archives... In mid June a prof (hereinafter #1) contacted my church regarding access to the archives on a very specific topic, for a book (if that matters). I spent half a day looking through stuff in the archives with and for #1, and have subsequently begun work on updating and arranging the archives initially because of this quest, although I had been asked to take this on before the request came in.. A week later, I got another request from another academic (hereinafter #2), different university, for access to the archives, same topic, for a paper (if that matters). In passing, in a letter to #1, I mentioned that another person was interested in the topic. #1 sends me a letter that betrays total panic, and asking if the other person is #2. It is. What is MY responsibility to either of these researchers? Of course I would not mention names to either of them, but does #1's "seniority" in the search in some way preclude my giving access to #2? #1 cannot come to do research until December, while #2 is coming some time in July.... Anne Slater, (Canaday Library,Bryn Mawr College 1973-2005) Ardmore, PA 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]> 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]>