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Re: A Description Dilemma



Cindy
Took your advice and reread the original posting. You are correct. She would
like to know how to describe them.
However it is the way she requested the help. By describing the items as
"filthy", "sexually explicit", "I don't know why the family has kept
them...", etc a reader would get the impression that she would really like
to get rid of the documents. That is where the lecture on archival ethics
got started. However if the request had been made in the following manner:

"I need help describing 3 documents that are part of collection covering the
years 1826-1891. There are approximately 99 documents total in 26 binders.
The 3 documents in question are of a sexual nature. I have never encountered
something like this before. Has anyone else ever faced this problem before?
Any advice is greatly appreciated as I must describe them."

I doubt if the ethics discussion would have started. At times we must put
aside our personal likes, beliefs etc. Our duty is not to pass judgement but
rather to make the materials available to researchers, preserve them for
future generations etc.

what is one man's trash is another man's treasure.

<snip>
Binder 19 contains three documents that I would describe as filthy, and none
of them are signed.  I'm not just talking about the kind of filth that can
be
removed by dry cleaning.  Portions of the letters are sexually explicit and
not too kindly phrased.  I don't know why the family has kept them for well
over 100 years!

I've never come across stuff like this before and wonder whether any of you
have, and if you have, I'd really like to know how you've described them,
for
describe them I must.
<snip>

Peter A. Kurilecz CRM, CA
Manager, Records Management Group
Woodside Summit Group Inc
Midlothian, Virginia
Office: 804-744-1247 x23
Fax: 804-744-4997
mailto:peter.kurilecz@woodsidesummitgroup.com

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