The Passionist Historical Archives
St. Paul of the Cross
Province
Archival Policies Statement
Following is our final segment of the Policy Statement for your
information. (See the previous segments in the Winter 1994 and Spring 1994 editions of the
newsletter.) A policy statement is the basic organizational tool of
every archives. It defines the mission and objectives of the
archives, the scope of its activities, the nature of its
collections, the authority under which it operates and the services
it provides to its clients. Our Policy Statement has been reviewed
and approved by Very Rev. Fr. Provincial and therefore has the
force of a Provincial directive
Morgan P. Hanlon, C.P.
V Access Policy
- It is the policy of the
Archives normally to grant access to all who seek it within the
limits of Passionist particular law, canon, and civil law
consistent with the protection of legitimate rights to privacy and
confidentiality. There are, however, certain priorities among users
and levels of access which will be maintained. Since the Archives
is primarily intended as an instrument for Provincial
administration, the Provincial, his Council and staff will be given
priority to the resources of the Archives and its staff. After
them, access will be granted according to the following priority:
local Superiors and other Province officeholders (e.g. Pastors and
Retreat Directors), members of the Province of St. Paul of the
Cross, members of other Provinces, and finally the public at large.
The term "access" is understood to mean admission to the Reading
Area of the Archives for the purpose of research. "Access" also
means that the staff will respond, whenever able, to reasonable
telephonic inquiries. No one, other than staff members, is ever
permitted into the Stack Room, nor is "browsing" ever permitted.
Access will be granted to minors only when, in the judgment of the
Archivist, they are mature enough to be entrusted with the material
they wish to research. Retrieval and restorage of files will be
done only by a staff member.
- Researchers who desire to
utilize the facilities of the Archives are required to read, agree
to and sign the Archives Form APPLICATION FOR RESEARCH USE
(6/92). Access to certain collections may be restricted or denied,
in whole or in part, according to the judgment and determination of
the Archivist. The Archivist or other staff member will interview
each researcher and engage in "question negotiation," i.e. a
dialogue in which both parties endeavor to clarify and focus more
precisely the exact area of the researcher's interest. The purpose
of "question negotiation" is to enable the archivist to better
assist the researcher and avoid aimless searching in the stacks. In
addition researchers will be able to use various kinds of "Finding
Aids" which are kept in the Reading Room.
- Most archives, including
the Passionist Historical Archives, control their records at the
box or container level. "Finding Aids" will indicate the
type of records to be found in each box but not the specific
contents. Researchers, therefore, will be made aware that they will
be provided with finding aids and the assistance of the staff but
must themselves choose the records they wish to examine and do
their own research work. It should also be explained that this is
normal archival practise. There are, in the Passionist Historical
Archives, two exceptions to this practise. In both the CHINA
COLLECTION and the FIDELIS KENT STONE COLLECTION not
only is each box numbered, but every folder within each box is also
numbered and the contents briefly described.
- Record boxes will be
selected for examination by the researchers who will fill out one
of the call slips available in the Reading Room. The boxes chosen
will be brought from the Stacks to the Reading Room by a staff
person who will record box numbers and times. When the boxes are
retrieved and restored in the Stacks, they will be inspected and
the time noted. No more than two boxes at a time will be made
available. No more than two file folders from a given box may be
open on the table at one time. This restriction is imposed to
prevent the possibility of misfiling papers in a box and of
misfiling folders between boxes. If this should happen, the
document or the file folder is effectively lost.
- No researcher shall ever
be left unattended while in the Reading Room and in possession of
documents which are the property of the Archives.
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