[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Archives Fires (& Floods) -- and Moves



My department moved off campus two and a half years ago and in so doing, I
discovered a lot of stuff I didn't realize we had (some of which I would
just have soon done without)!  We are about to move back to campus within
another month or so, and I surely hope I can keep track of what we have.  I
must say that moving this collection more than once within a short period
of time has played havoc with my memory -- whereas before I could easily go
to just the right spot for a certain box of whatever, I've had to retrain
my memory for all new locations -- and I'll have to do it again!  The one
good thing that's come out of these moves is that I've learned how
important it is to have an up-to-date and totally reliable location
inventory of my collection -- in print/on-line, and not in my memory!

I wish you well, Nancy!

Nancy MacKechnie
Vassar, Special Collections


>Moves are a very good explanation for missing material.  We will be moving
>twice in the next 4 years, and I plan to lose a lot of stuff.
>
>Nancy Boothe
>
>
>
>On Thu, 2 Mar 2000, Beth S. Harris wrote:
>
>> We had a big flood back in '85 and we've used that excuse for many years
>> --Gee, that must have been lost in THE FLOOD.  At some point, however,
>> we'll have to come up with something else.  Since we moved into a new
>> building last year, maybe we can use that as our next excuse!!
>>
>> I've always held that every archives needs an occasional fire now and then
>> to provide some plausible deniability for records someone doesn't wish to
>> release to the public or that the records center just plain can't find.
>> Something like:  "Oh, those records were probably destroyed in "the great
>> fire of 2000"".  Anyone who has investigated the GI A-Bomb veterans, for
>> example, knows what I'm talking about.  It isn't necessary that a lot of
>> records are destroyed, just enough so that anything missing or troublesome
>> that arises after that date can be said to have "probably been destroyed in
>> the fire".
>>
>>
>>
>> ****************************************************************************
>> Beth S. Harris          Special Collections Management Librarian
>> Wyndham Robertson Library       POB 9000, 7950 E. Campus Drive
>> Hollins University                      Roanoke, VA  24020
>> Fax: (540) 362-6756             Ph.: (540) 362-6237
>> Website:  http://www.hollins.edu
>>
>> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>>
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
>>       In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>>                     *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
>> To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu
>>
>> 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 <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>>
>
>A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
>
>To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
>      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
>                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
>To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu
>
>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 <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

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 <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>