[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: ownership of records



There are several reasons that an agency would be in the same
boat that Rob Dishon describes.   First, you agree to take the records
because you hope to later get most of the records and formally com-
plete a form.  Second, the records come from an intermediary and
not necessarily the formal organization...e.g. you get the records of
the Rotary Club from the Vice President, without Board approval ...
Third, there's a political manuever...for example, your boss says take
them because he/she does not want to make another agency section
mad at them.

Our problem here has been the previous policy that you did not
touch the records--no sorting, processing, inventories, etc.   I changed
that in that we "treat" them like our own but maintain logs of time/hours
and costs involved.   This has done two things:  (1) put a stop to all those
"I know you have this record because they were given to you" complaints,
and (2) "Wow!  this is great!  We'll be sure to bring you more materials
that we found our deceased historian had!"

Dean

Dean DeBolt
University Librarian
Special Collections and West Florida Archives
John C. Pace Library
University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
Tele:  850-474-2213;   Fax:  850-474-3338

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>