[78-L] Theft of Recordings at NARA

[gdkimball at cox.net]

Mike, I certainly can understand how your personal relationship could color your view of this, and Paul, yes, there are life and death matters that certainly transcend this case--and most other things in life.  But please don't reduce this to "whining over a few records" or quibbling about whether the materials are duplicates or "replaceable."

If you believe this type of theft is trivial or in any way excusable, then how can you subscribe to the importance, mission, and ethics of such archives?  In our profession there is no greater ethical breach than an archivist, entrusted with the care and safe-keeping of records, violating that public trust through theft or the destruction of records. If we can sugar coat something like this, we might as well not bother having archives. 

Personally and professionally, I am glad that NARA is taking such a public and aggressive stand against theft recently. For too long these things were swept under the rug and perpetrators were allowed to give back materials without consequences, for fear of bad publicity to the institution. I hope that this is changing. I bear no personal animus to this gentleman. He made a bad decision and is suffering the consequences. Professionally . . .  that's another story.

Gregg Kimball


---- Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com> wrote: 
> From: Paul Christenzen <picz65 at gmail.com>
> > Puh-leeze.... is this "Over-reaction Thursday" and nobody told me? The 
> > world's goin' to he** in a handbasket, the economy's in the tank, etc, 
> > etc, etc and we're whining over a few records that somebody probably got 
> > a hugely inflated tax deduction for? Write your letters about something 
> > important!
> 
> Thank you, Paul.  I did not want to post anything about this situation,
> but I and many other friends of Les have been heartsick over this for
> the past year.  We have been asking each other why did he do this.  A
> number of us are getting together next week for quite another reason,
> but I have a feeling that we'll bring this up and maybe have a good cry
> over it.  We really are heartbroken, and we just can't join into the
> hatefest.
>