[Genealib] Family history donation and privacy issues

[Susan Scouras]

Generally this is not a problem, but I advise at least flipping through
the book and looking over any personal reminiscences.  We had a
manuscript (self-published on a desktop computer) donated last year that
was an excellent straightforward family history at first glance, with an
appended section of memoirs written by the author's father, a retired
physician.  I sent the unbound manuscript off to the bindery, then
looked at it more in depth while cataloging, checking for possible local
history or physican-related subject headings to add.  I discovered that
the physican had not thought too highly of some of his colleagues, nor
of at least one local hospital (still in business), and said so quite
plainly, even describing some specific practices and cases of which he
did not approve.  He also made quite hurtful observations about his own
relatives, including his children (still living and none past middle
age), such as descriptions of alcoholism, intelligence level, failure to
meet the writer's expectations, character flaws, etc.--all written about
very dispassionately.  
 
We consulted with the donor, who agreed we could separate the family
history narrative from the father's memoirs and withhold the memoirs
from the public.  The author's lack of concern over this was telling in
itself, and the author didn't want the memoir pages returned for
re-donation in the future.  Reluctant to just trash the memoir, which
had a lot of good local history in it, as well as useful descriptions of
a medical practice over the years, we placed it in a restricted
collection with some doctors' birth record notebooks we acquired that
must be withheld for 50 years.  
 
We had discussions about censorship, etc., but felt many of the
statements made violated the privacy of living individuals, and the
medical comments were potentially libelous.  We have a few family
history notebook collections or manuscripts that were donated with
agreed upon release dates, or with the request that we place them in our
closed stacks so that only someone specifically looking for that family
will ask for it and no one will be browsing it in the public reading
room, but this was the first time--and I hope the last--that we chose to
restrict something from public access based on our own concerns.
 
Susan Scouras
Librarian
WV Archives and History Library
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East
Charleston, WV  25305-0300
(304) 558-0230, Ext. 742
 
	-----Original Message-----
	From: genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
[mailto:genealib-bounces at mailman.acomp.usf.edu] On Behalf Of Taggart,
Linda
	Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 3:17 PM
	To: genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu
	Subject: [Genealib] Family history donation and privacy issues
	
	
	A patron has offered us a copy of his wife's family history,
which he researched. It would fit into our collection nicely. However,
some of the family members listed are still living, so I'm a little
nervous about privacy issues. Can anyone point me in the direction of
some good resources on this topic, or let me know how you've handled it?
	 
	Thanks!
	 
	Linda Taggart
	Reference Librarian
	Nashua Public Library
	Nashua, NH
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