Good points by Claudia. I'm not going to get into a semantics war, but to ask a researcher to disclose their reasons for conducting a project that involves your collections certainly is a form of "screening" which incidentally wasn't a word I was thinking of when I decided to reply to this. I have done research at NARA and I also do it from my desk via fax or e-mail. But I have found that when I contact an institution and let them know exactly why I would want to purchase a photograph or borrow an object, that the more helpful you are in your explanations of your project, the more helpful they are in helping you find what you need. But we're getting away from the subject. If a lawyer requires access to a collection, and has a worthy explanation as to how that is being used, then the archivist or director of the institution has the option of allowing access for that lawyer's particular need. It's just common sense. The neutrality of the museum then comes to bear on the decision made. If it would seem that the museum might be entangled by litigation, perhaps the best course is to steer away from it, and let the lawyer researcher know that they cannot have access to the collections; unless the museum has a written policy and sufficient disclaimers, then there should be no problem in giving access to the collection if the researcher's request is reasonable. O Olivia S. Anastasiadis, Curator Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace 18001 Yorba Linda Boulevard Yorba Linda, CA 92886 (714) 993-5075 ext. 224; fax (714) 528-0544; e-mail: [log in to unmask] ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://museums.state.nm.us/nmmnh/museum-l.html. 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).