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Re: Awkward encounter



Besides the matter of the water bottle, the lack of respect for the
materials would get my goat. It's not just in archives or libraries. I used
to sell books, and once in a while we'd get some dear soul in the store who
would browse by grabbing each half of the open book in an iron grip and
manhandling the covers back until they met and the binding broke. Pay for
it? Never - didn't want it. Here, the issue is either shop volunteers not
washing their hands before handling materials, getting fingerprints and
thumbprints all over photos or applying firm pressure with the thumb against
opposing fingers or the palm of the hand when holding documents, thereby
putting neat creases around the edges. If I see any of this happening, I
have no qualms about confronting the offender and taking whatever action -
short of amputation of hands and fingers - is needed to make them stop. Even
the boss has learned to not trifle with me on matters of respect for the
collections.

My contribution to the "Ten Commandments for Amateur Geneaologists" that was
posted to the list the end of last month:

Variations of No. 6, from constant problems here:

6A)    Thou shalt not lay ungloved fingers upon photographic images.

6B)    Thou shalt hold lightly any document in thy hand, bending it not with
forceful thumb and breaking not the binding.

Best wishes,

Thomas Berry, Archivist
Historical Construction Equipment Association
16623 Liberty Hi Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Phone 419-352-5616
Fax 419-352-6086
tberry@hcea.net
http://www.hcea.net


----- Original Message -----
From: "Skreslet, Paula" <PSkreslet@UNION-PSCE.EDU>
To: <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 12:09 PM
Subject: Awkward encounter


> Well, I don't think I handled that reference encounter very well.  A
young
> guy (not one of our students) with a big bottle of water appeared today in
> the Archives.  (There are signs all over the Library saying "No food or
> drink allowed".)
>
> He wanted to see a rare and fragile 1749 edition of the life of David
> Brainerd.  I asked him to fill in a patron card, and under "Purpose in
using
> the Archives" he wrote "just looking!"  First, I asked him to take his
water
> bottle outside.  Then I gave him some cotton gloves and the unwrapped
book,
> but I must have seemed upset, because he asked me what he'd done wrong.
He
> did not fit our normal criteria for use of our controlled-access
collection,
> and didn't display what I considered to be sufficient respect for the
> materials.  That water bottle really ticked me off!  I felt torn between
the
> "gatekeeper" role and the "service to patrons" role.
>
> What should I have said?  Was I being unfair to him?  I tried to be
pleasant
> and polite, and I let him use the book, but according to our rules, I
should
> have said no.  I couldn't do it.  (sigh)
>
> Paula Skreslet
> Reference/Archives
> William Smith Morton Library
> Union-PSCE
> Richmond, VA
>
> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
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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>