Archivists mediate between the interests of a number of different constituencies. Our institutions, donors, peers, and researchers all have different interests and place different demands on our time, and we face a host of restrictions imposed upon us by law, institutional mandates, and professional ethics — not the least of which is copyright.
Come prepared to talk about the issues of restriction, the pros and cons, and where archivists should situate themselves. Whose interests do we serve? How does copyright law affect access to our collections and what can we do about it? What other considerations should we have in thinking about access?
Note: there is a lot of reading this week, split as it is between copyright (the law) and ethics (anything but the law). Make sure you see all 12!
