[Genealib] Genealogy Service to Prison Inmates

[Joy Rich]

I wouldn't at all put heir searchers in the same category as stalkers, especially those who end up murdering 
someone.

Joy Rich
Brooklyn, NY

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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 1 May 2006 09:35:34 -0400
From: "Susan Scouras" <Susan.Scouras at wvculture.org>
Subject: RE: [Genealib] Genealogy Service to Prison Inmates
To: "Librarians Serving Genealogists" <genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu>
Message-ID:
<3C3AAA3A260F8B42B08D24D1CAEC06690232247B at mail.wvculture.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

We have to be just as cautious with people who walk through our doors,
while recognizing that we can not close those doors to anyone who is not
an overt threat to public safety (and we have all had our share of those
experiences).  We are not always as helpful as we could be, but are not
required to be, when our "antennae go up," as Larry put it. When we are
suspicious of someone's motives, we are more likely to simply show them
the records or newspapers where they may find their answers, but we are
less likely to volunteer research tips unless in response to specific
questions.

For years we had a team of researchers (private detectives?) from
another state who visited us quite often and were very friendly with the
staff.  They were reseaching living people and/or looking for living
descendants of specific individuals. They never asked for much help with
specifics, just wanted to know which newspapers were associated with
certain communities, where they could find records we did not have, etc.
Over time we realized they were probably researching heirships of coal,
oil and gas rights.  Since this was of possible financial benefit to
these people, does that make the privacy question or security issue less
valid or just as valid as the concerns expressed about stalkers?  Keep
in mind, we still do not know for sure exactly who these people were
working for and the exact purpose of their research.

Susan Scouras
Librarian
WV Archives and History Library
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV  25305-0300
(304) 558-0230, Ext. 742