We have
been asked, as part of a digitization grant, to consider developing a policy
to handle complaints. Not
that we expect any?we aren?t planning to digitize anything obviously objectionable?but
you never know. We?ve considered
a policy specifically for challenges to displayed materials (electronic
or in an exhibit) and we?ve also thought of expanding the policy to one
to handle complaints in general.
I haven?t found any discussion or sample
policy to deal with this issue on the archives or museum listservs nor
in any archives or museum manuals. Maybe
it?s not something many archives, in particular, have had to deal with
in the past. But as we become
more outreach oriented, I think we can expect challenges. Moreover,
as we begin to digitize entire collections, rather than samples or exhibits,
we may really run across some problems. Say
you want to digitize your photograph collections. Do
you include the 1905 photo of skinny-dipping? Might
someone consider it obscene? But
if you?re doing a comprehensive project how can you exclude it? We
have to deal with donors and heirs, too. Uncle
Joe might have donated his WWII diary fifty years ago with the intention
that it be used for research. But
he was thinking of serious scholars who had to sign in and work quietly
in your oak-lined research room. He
never imagined it could be looked at all over the world in an instant by
anyone for any reason. Or,
the grandkids had no idea he wrote about stuff like that! Now that they
do, they want it restricted. Clearly,
you want to keep relations cordial. But
you also want to keep the material open and available. How
do walk that fine a line?
In the library world, a reconsideration
policy is an established method for dealing with challenges to books. Obviously,
the library community is one of the most ardent supporters of intellectual
freedom and equal access. The
ALA?s Office of Intellectual Freedom has a sample reconsideration policy
on their website: www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/
I think having a pre-determined
policy has a number of advantages:
1. It
gives your front-line staff (often volunteers or students) a clear procedure
to follow and a specific name to direct the complainant to.
2. It
gives you a chance to educate the public about your collections and access
policies. Many times this
ends the challenge.
3. It
immediately calms a potentially disruptive confrontation by demonstrating
how seriously you?re taking the complaint and that you will really listen. It
also moves a yelling match to a nice, written interchange.
4. Much
of the decision-making happens before the crises. Also,
those who make the decisions are professionals. This
is especially important if your administration or source of revenue is
not.
6. It
vastly strengthens the final decision. (E.g.
?We?ve followed our procedures to the letter and have determined to leave
the material on display.?)
So, finally, my questions to you are: Do
you have such a policy? If
so, may I have a copy? If
not, what do you think about the issue?Anne L. Foster
Archival Fellow
Center of Southwest Studies
Fort Lewis College
1000 Rim Dr.
Durango CO 81301
foster_a@fortlewis.edu
www.fortlewis.edu/acad-aff/swcenter/
phone: 970.247.7456
fax: 970.247.7422