It is very important for your institution's reputation and community
standing to avoid even the slightest appearance of unethical behavior.
You do not want your community to think that donations are distributed
for staff to take home.  It doesn't matter if they're virtually
worthless, out of your collecting parameters, or just plain trash.  

If you just can't bring yourself to destroy the records and then throw
away the bits and pieces, you could take them to a local
Goodwill/Salvation Army/St. Vincent de Paul store. 

This is just one of the many reasons it's better not to let it in the
door unless you're sure you want it.

<<getting off my soapbox now>>


Deborah Thomas
Registrar | Atlanta History Center 
130 West Paces Ferry Road, NW 
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
p | 404.814.4054    f | 404.814.2041
e | [log in to unmask]

Find out what's new now at the Atlanta History Center! 
Visit www.AtlantaHistoryCenter.com




-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Toni Kiser
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 4:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Vinyl Records...unwanted

Our institution recently received about 200 vinyl records that range in
date from the 1930s-1980s. When we agreed to take the records from our
collecting era (1930s-1940s) the donor gave us permission to dispose of
anything that we didn't want. They signed a permission to dispose form
that lists all the ways we can get rid of them (give to another
institution, sell, throw away, etc.). Most of the records that we are
not keeping for the collection are not in great shape and I don't think
that they would sell well on ebay (at least not well enough to justify
all the time and effort we would have to put into it).
So we would like to just throw them away...but here is our dilemma, word
of these vintage records got out among the staff and people have been
asking if they can have certain records (The Captain and Taneal anyone?)
We do intend to toss them, but I don't want to just hand them out to
employees that ask for them. I also hate to put this much stuff in the
trash that someone may want and use. Should I throw them out and just
let people dumpster dive? Any thoughts on an easy way to rid ourselves
of them without getting caught in an ethical nightmare?
Anyone want 100 or so vinyl records from the 60s, 70s, and 80s (for your
institution of course)?

Thanks for you thoughts,
Toni

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail
message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should
read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message
to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read
"Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).