Anne: On our registration form, which all our users read and sign, is a line which reads: Do you want your work to remain confidential? Yes No Above it is a line that reads: (If neither "yes" or "no" is checked for either or both of the next two lines, the Archives staff will assume that you meant to check "no.") If the patron wants her/his work to remain confidential, it is. If she/he does not, we inform other researchers working in the same area as occasion arises. It is often very helpful to both parties. Bob Shuster Billy Graham Center Archives ***** >>> Anne Slater <[log in to unmask]> 7/9/2006 9:48 AM >>> 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]>