I recomend reading the following book - it covers all variety of issues in
case studies with thoughtful answers. I don't have it at hand but believe
there is a case study or two that would be helpful in your situation.
Best wishes.

Main Author:       Benedict, Karen M.
Title:             Ethics and the archival profession : introduction and case
                      studies / Karen Benedict.
Publisher:         Chicago : Society of American Archivists, c2003.
Description:       91 p. ; 23 cm.
Subject(s):        Archivists Professional ethics Case studies.
                   Appraisal of archival materials Case studies.
                   Archives Access control Case studies.
                   Archives Administration Standards.
                   Archives Law and legislation.

|((|  Ellen Chapman, MLS, MA, CA
|))|  Archives & Manuscripts Department
|((|  University of Hawaii at Manoa Library
|))|  (808) 944-7656






On Sun, 9 Jul 2006, Anne Slater wrote:

> 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
>
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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]>