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FW: Museum exhibition files-- retention question



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Deborah Wythe [SMTP:deborahwythe@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 1:03 PM
> To:   SMorris@DM-ART.ORG
> Subject:      Re: Museum exhibition files-- retention question
>
> Hi Sammie!
>
> In my opinion "just in case" is not a good justification for keeping
> stuff.
> In the past, I've left the copied articles in the exhibition files, but
> over
> the years, have started rethinking that. It seems to me that a separation
> sheet with the citations for "photocopies discarded" will suffice just
> fine.
> The space crunch eventually stares us all in the face.
>
> If something was really obscure, could only be retrieved from a library in
>
> East Nowhere, and wasn't overly long, maybe I'd keep it on file (or if it
> was something important, transfer it to the library ro be cataloged, so
> everyone could have access). The reality is that no good researcher is
> going
> to reuse someone else's research files, or expect to find everything they
> need in them, so they'll be going over the same territory anyway.
>
> The key, though, is to set a policy and write it down in your appraisal
> and/or processing guidelines. That way, future archivists will know what
> you
> did and why.
>
> Even more than exhibition files, you're going to find the same articles in
>
> education files, development files, and on ad infinitum. Everyone needs to
>
> education themselves when a new show comes along, so the duplication is
> monstrous.
>
> Good luck!
> --Deb
>
>
> >From: Sammie Morris <SMorris@DM-ART.ORG>
> >Reply-To: Sammie Morris <SMorris@DM-ART.ORG>
> >To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> >Subject: Museum exhibition files-- retention question
> >Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 10:33:38 -0600
> >
> >Fellow Archivists,
> >
> >This is mostly a question for other museum archivists, although I would
> >welcome input from any one of you.
> >
> >In our exhibition files we have lots of photocopied articles from various
> >publications that our curators used when doing research for exhibits.
> >Normally, it would be my instinct to discard these, as they are not
> >originals, not generated by our museum, and are available through other
> >sources, such as regular art libraries.  Not to mention the amount of
> space
> >they are taking up in the files! (We have over 500 feet of exhibition
> >records.)  Space is a major issue for our archives-- we really have
> little
> >room for future growth of our collections.
> >
> >However, I was speaking about these articles with our Head of Libraries
> and
> >Archives and she pointed out that if anyone was researching a particular
> >exhibit they might be interested in knowing what sources the curators
> >consulted.  She also pointed out that some of the articles might require
> a
> >lot of time and energy to locate again and that it would be preferable to
> >keep these in case we needed them in the future.
> >
> >I'd love to hear your opinions on this issue, especially from those of
> you
> >with experience writing retention schedules for museum archives.
> >
> >Sammie Morris, CA
> >Archivist
> >Dallas Museum of Art
> >1717 North Harwood
> >Dallas, Texas 75201
> >Phone: (214) 922-1375
> >Fax: (214) 954-0174
> >Email: smorris@dm-art.org
> >Web: http://www.dm-art.org
> >
> >
> >Sammie Morris, CA
> >Archivist
> >Dallas Museum of Art
> >1717 North Harwood
> >Dallas, Texas 75201
> >Phone: (214) 922-1375
> >Fax: (214) 954-0174
> >Email: smorris@dm-art.org
> >Web: http://www.dm-art.org
> >
> >A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
> >
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> >
> >Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>
>
>
> Deborah Wythe
> Brooklyn Museum of Art Archives
> 200 Eastern Parkway
> Brooklyn, NY 11238
> tel: 718 638 5000 x311
> fax: 718 638 3731
> email: deborahwythe@hotmail.com
>
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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>