Interesting that this should come up just now.  I've just finished a
review of the ASC Guidelines for Institutional Database Policies for
_SPECTRA_, I recommend you get a copy.
 
I agree that we have an obligation to protect the privacy of of
individuals and restrict access to some data, but the data user should
realize that an object/specimen based database is by definition a work
in progress.  To deny access on the grounds that the data becomes
dated quickly is foolish.  By extention, you would never publish books
or articles because of the stale information they would contain in the
1-4 years they take to get into traditional print.
 
The Canadian Heritage Information Network has been compiling databases
for 25 years now, and no one seems to have suffered to greatly from
the public accessibility of a few million records.  (I rarely say
anything good about CHIN, but they were major data providers before
the PC revolution - unfortunately technology seems to be locking them
into a mainframe mind set).
 
Again I agree that databases created for internal or research purposes
should be treated differently then collections based data, but this
too was the arguement used to deny access to the Qumran scrolls for
decades.  Legitimate researchers and students should be given access
to everything but work in progress, and all primate data should have a
stature of limitations for its release (say 3 years for full
disclosure - if you can't complete a publications within that time...).
 
I realize that there are intellectual property rights issues here as
well, and I think all institutions should develop clear guidelines and
policies for staff.  As we finally come to realize that data has a
real world value we need to come to grips with this issue before we
launch into electronic value added services or products.
 
I don't mean to sound like a flame, but I feel strongly on this issue.
To deny access to anything but the most sensitive data is akin to any
other form of censorship of information.
 
Richard Gerrard
Registrar
Toronto Historical Board
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