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Re: ethics of deaccessioning



 
Well, I don't really have any experience with wholesale deaccession, but I have a few thoughts.

I'm not sure I see anything inherently unethical in disposing of materials that are no longer necessary or duplicates.  Obviously one has to go about it the right way, and be sure not to start selling collections every time you need cash, which probably would be unethical.  But I for one don't see why you should be limited to purchasing collection materials if the funds can be better used elsewhere, unless the institution's bylaws demand it  - once it's in cash form, it seems a little meaningless what you spend the money on (though pencils isn't the most glamorous choice).

The other options for disposal depend, it seems to me, on the circumstances involved.  I wouldn't bother with the expense of shredding for materials that aren't sensitive; old annual reports, for instance, readily available to the public, are not the things I would waste shredding on.  Old student records, on the other hand, have an ethical imperative to dispose of properly if they're being deaccessioned.

As to giving things away, the charity activities on this list suggest that as a profession we have no problem with passing on unneeded materials that don't fit our collecting policies or whatever.  Moreover, since the stuff offered seems to find a home almost immediately, and presumably homes in reputable archival institutions, I don't think we have to fear that we're crossing any lines by offering them to others.

To sum up, as long as you're careful about your choice of method, I don't think you have to worry about Archival Demons coming up from Hades to torture your soul for eternity.

Daniel
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____________________________________________

Daniel Sokolow
Archives Coordinator
North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System
155 Community Drive
Great Neck, NY 11021
dsokolow@nshs.edu
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