Dear Ms. Slater:
Let me preface This by agreeing with Ellen Chapman. You should
certainly become familiar with the ethics of the profession, and their
history of situational application.
It is my own rule that staff must never reveal the name OR the work of
one researcher to another. This is especially sensitive when one knows,
or even suspects, that the research is being done toward an academic
degree. Then indeed, panic is justified!
When client #2 comes along, I must offer to act as go-between. I
explain that our repository does not make exclusive contracts with any
client. Then I explain to #2 that he not alone in his interest in that
material, and further that I will inform #1 of His existence. I explain
that this is the limit of the information I can share. Then I explain
that, Only if Both parties so wish, I can put them in touch with one
another. In all such matters, a paper trail is needed, in the event
that either party repents his decision.
Sincerely,
Judith A. Robins,
Collections Supervisor,
Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
520 N. Northwest Highway
Park Ridge, IL 60068-2573
Tel: 847-268-9168
Fax: 847-825-1692
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Anne Slater
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 9:48 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Thorny Issue
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]>