Well. This certainly seems to be an area of personal opinion,
strongly held. Into that danger zone let me introduce a fact:
There is a cluster on this topic in the professional
literature. NEDCC "Technical Leaflet" "Storage Methods and
Handling Practices," for example. Does anyone except me
remember the existence of "professional literature?" Perhaps
not. I am a "Grumpy Old Man," who not only learned how to read
but often _does_! For entertainment and (Unglaublichkeit)
_information_! Of course, such a notion is clearly out of fashion
with the video games generation who - as it becomes increasingly
obvious in following Listservs - are filling the ranks of those
considering themselves "professional." I would consider
familiarity with the professional literature to be a major
indicium of a "professional," even if it does often mean
descent into the realm of _reading_ - _reading_ stuff _on
paper_! Those who do not "are not deserving the respect of
peers. It ought to be a dismissable offense with no prospects
for further employment." Now _there's_ a strongly held personal
opinion; which is solely mine, and does not necessarily represent
the views of my employer.

According to Group Denial:
>
> In article <[log in to unmask]>, Beatrice Hulsberg
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Michael, I did not mean to offend archivists but I DO know of several
> > instances where archivists/librarians have dismantled photograph albums
> > because they did not believe that they were "artifacts" in their own right.
> > Beatrice
> > [log in to unmask]
> > Beatrice Ann Hulsberg
>
> In the age of computerized databases and superb photographic reproductions
> there is no excuse for physically dispersing the contents of an album. Any
> museum or library staff member who disassembles an album for a reason
> other than eventually reassembling it in an improved state of preservation
> is a vandal not deserving the respect of peers. It ought to be a
> dismissible offense with no prospects for further employment.
>
> --
> Paul Doering in Rochester NY USA
>   "Tomorrow will never catch up with yesterday
>    because yesterday started sooner."
>      - Carl Sandburg, "Rootabaga Stories"
>