n.a limitation on availability of archives resources for usersBoles and Young 1985, 138–139To facilitate an understanding of the various elements discussed in this article, the elements and short-question definitions are provided in this appendix. The purpose of the appendix is to gather together the various elements in one place. . . . ¶ [C.] 2. Access restrictions ¶ a. Source-imposed access restrictions: Has the source of the records identified legitimate administrative, legal, or ethical concerns that would affect the use of the records? ¶ b. Repository-imposed access restrictions: Has the archivist identified administrative, legal, or ethical concerns that would affect the use of the records?Barritt 1986, 272No archivist or records manager reported trying to dissuade departments that were making records accessible in violation of FERPA. There seemed to be few attempts by the archivists interviewed to initiate information programs for departments regarding access restrictions to student records. This may be seen as the province of university attorneys on most campuses.Baumann 1986, 366–367The public has a right to know if records are restricted, and how to gain access for research purposes to such records. The “post-custodial” information society assumes that access is being addressed. For example, the AMC format manual contains a field and sub fields for recording information about access restrictions.Miller 1989, 185Federal legislation, particularly the 1978 Presidential Records Act, specifically mandates that records covered by the act be made available to the judicial process regardless of access restrictions.Bridges et al. 1993, 742Archivists accept restrictions, not to make research more difficult, but to make research possible; without reasonable restrictions, many records creators would opt for destruction rather than preservation. An appreciation of the function of access restrictions in archival collections can also enhance a researcher’s ability to create a realistic research design.Montgomery 2003, 123In fact, no provision in the PRA allows a former president to exercise total control over presidential records after leaving office. The Act enables a president to impose only limited access restrictions on certain categories of presidential records and mandates that he must do so before his term ends.Miller 2008, 31Access restrictions should be time-limited and clearly stated in the deed of gift.Danielson 2010, 128–129Several examples of more restrictive access policies, from Britain, California, Germany, and Russia, illustrate the lingering access restrictions from an earlier era that have persisted into modern times, particularly in older, more traditional institutions.Windon and Tang 2022, 1Not having a codified standard is entirely understandable, since access restrictions often are deeply dependent on individual circumstances, potentially including legal gray areas and emotional quagmires.Olson 2024, 91Many narrators, for reasons of privacy or even safety, want to limit access to their stories for a period of time or to certain audiences. There are valid reasons why this is part of oral history tradition, but the frequency with which access restrictions arise for oral history can put it outside of broader trends within archives and libraries.
Notes
The early term use-restricted was generally replaced by use restriction, which is used less frequently than access restriction, albeit having a similar meaning.
