[Genealib] Family history donation and privacy issues

[mrarchive at aol.com]

GOOD GOD ...REWRITING HISTORY  LEAVE IT LAY WHERE IT WAS FLANG..  FORNICATING WITH THE INDIANS WAS THE FIRST REFERENCE TO ONE NOBLE AMERICAN FAMILY HISTORY PLACING THEM I THE EARLY COLONY  SHOULD WE BE CENSURING THE WRITTEN WORD OF ANOTHER .. THINK NOT   THOUGH QUEEN VICTORIA WAS DEAD OR DOES HSE LIVE IN OUR HEARTS, MONDS AND OUR CENSORSHIP ??

CATALOGUE THE BOOK AND LET THE AUTHOR TAKE THE HEAT OF HIS OR HER PEN!!!
STS

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Scouras <Susan.Scouras at wvculture.org>
To: Librarians Serving Genealogists <genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu>
Sent: Fri, 29 Feb 2008 4:01 pm
Subject: RE: [Genealib] Family history donation and privacy issues



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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