Isn't the solution to see it as two sets of information - the actual
collection and the information on the folders. Your rules can then apply
equally to both sets of information and you don't really have a problem.
Donald Henderson
Information Compliance Manager
Perth & Kinross Council
-----Original Message-----
From: This list is for those interested in Data Protection issues
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Graeme Hawley
Sent: 03 July 2006 13:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [data-protection] Inheriting a problem
Here's an odd one
My organisation is a library. We have millions of pages of manuscripts.
These manuscripts include diaries, letters, address books, etc. The
manuscripts are often donated or deposited with us by a person. The
material they deposit often contains information, opinion, data, and
comment, about other third parties, who have not consented to their
personal data being available to the public. We handle this conundrum
by
getting the users to sign a declaration that says "Readers should ensure
that any information obtained from our colections relating to living
individuals is used in accordance with the principles of the Data
Proteection Act 1998". This is all par for the course in the library
environment.
Also par for the course in a library environment is that we do not give
out the personal details of our users - who they are, what they are
researching, when they are using our services - to other people. All
fairly sensible.
Now here's the dilema. We have just acquired a big collection of
manuscripts. The previous archive curator had noted on the folders and
boxes of the collections who had used them and when. ??!@*!.
Do I: a) allow the original folders to be seen, and appear to contravene
our policy on not disclosing researchers details, or, b) withhold the
names on the folders, and set a worrying precedent about the disclosure
of
third party data in our manuscripts collections.
I am inclined towards (a). The names on the folders are no different to
the third party names within the folders (apart from the possibility
that
the names on the folders are more likely to relate to living individuals
than any third party data within, given the nature of this particular
collection). Any thoughts?
Graeme
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