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Re: On-line auctions



Our Archive is in the creation stages and currently I am the only "employee"
assigned.  I am under the supervision of the Library Director.  So until we
have an Archivist/Faculty on staff, we have developed preliminary policies
to cover most situations.  The policy regarding deaccessioned material or
donated materials deemed "inappropriate" for our Wiregrass Special
Collection will be returned to the donor, offered to another institution or
repository, or sold.  This information is conveyed to the donor prior to
agreements being finalized.

I realize this may sound cold hearted, but our space (like many other
archives) is limited.  We simply do NOT have the room to store items (unless
it is more politic to do so).

My 4 cents worth (inflation, you know)

Tina Bernath

----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul A Oelkrug" <oelkrug@LIBRARY.UTA.EDU>
To: <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 1:42 PM
Subject: Re: On-line auctions


> List,
>
> As an archivist want-to-be, I too am interested in this method of
deaccessioning
> unwanted items.  It seems to me that the unwanted items should first be
offered to
> the donor/donors if at all possible.  If not possible, selling the items
in question
> seems to me like a good alternative (I do not know of too many archives
that couldn't
> use extra funds).
>
> I do have to agree that, although there may be nothing wrong ethically
speaking,
> selling items on Ebay or other on-line auctions doesn't look good.  This
is because, I
> believe, of the public's perception of archives and special collections.
>
> Perhaps deaccessioned items should be offered to other
depositories/museums who
> might be interested in them.
>
> Just my two cents.
>
>
>
> On 8 Sep 2001 at 13:25, Abby Lester wrote:
>
> > I think this discussion is very important. I don't think, however, that
we
> > have hit on the meat of the question yet. What are the ethical
> > ramifications surrounding selling deaccessioned items in online
auctions?
> > What type of image do patrons get when they see a museum or
> > archives "selling" their collections? We have discussed this at my
> > institution, but the staff has always decided that it wouldn't "look
good"
> > to patrons for us to sell our collections online. I have not yet made up
my
> > mind on this subject and would like to encourage further discussion.
> >
> > Abby Lester
> > Archivist and Librarian
> > The Jewish Museum of Maryland
> > 15 Lloyd Street
> > Baltimore, MD 21202
> >
> > 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
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> >
> > 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>
>
> Paul A Oelkrug
> University of Texas-Arlington
> Special Collections
> 817-272-7580
> oelkrug@library.uta.edu
>
> 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>
>
>

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>