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Re: restricted collections



We have a similar situation to Roy's.   We have a substantial
map collection, though much of it is photocopies of Florida and
West Florida, gathered from searches through archives in Europe,
as well as this country.   Many of the manuscript maps show Indian
settlements and our archaeology director has urged me to not let
people use the maps because most of them are treasure hunters
and would destroy these areas.

I'm torn between agreement with that, but as a publicly-funded
agency, and a library, we do have policies of permitting access to
information.   Thus I'm not clear that I should prevent access to
information simply because I "think" the user will commit a fraudulent
act.    If I practiced that policy, use of city directories, telephone
books, even the Internet would come to a screeching halt.   Libraries
have always made it clear that our job is making access to information,
not policing how the information is used by the user.

As harsh as that sounds, I feel compelled to stand by it.   In the case of
Roy's problem, I think I would restrict access to the directions (perhaps
for fifty years) except with the written permission of the Archaeology
Department chair (or some other authority).      I'd be interested in how
others handle this.


We also have a shipwreck survey compiled by a local person, but in
donating a copy, he put restrictions that no one could copy it, but they
could use it.  So guess what?   Folks sit here and write down the informa-
tion.

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

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