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]>