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ethics in archives



Hi I've got question I thought that I'd through out to the vast and
knowledgeable collective on this listserv.  In processing collections what
should you do with items that should be deaccessioned?  That is in
processing a collection if you run across something that does not fit with
your institutions scope what should you do with the item or items?  The
specific case I'm thinking of involved a photocopy of a article dating
from the nineteenth century which listed what was served at a fancy French
dinner that took place in France.  In the end, since it was beyond the
scope of the institution where I was working at the time, it was not kept.
I was half tempted to take it home with me but did not.  What is the best
course of action in working at an archives and dealing with items out of
the repository's collecting focus?  Should items be offered to other
institutions, returned to the donor, or just disposed of?  How much of
this needs to be in writing?  Any thoughts or suggestions would be of help
as I prepare to return to the field of archives.

Thanks,

Andy

Andris Vinovskis
Information Resolution Assistant II
Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library
University of Michigan
avinovsk@umich.edu

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