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Archiver > APG > 2005-02 > 1107339816


From: Gordon Remington <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Deceased Genealogist's Work Files
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2005 02:23:36 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <009f01c508d7$c9b74830$6e41b142@VALUED16AFA648>


I have discussed the question of what to do with my work files when "I am at a logical stopping place" (a phrase many of us in SLC use when in the midst of research and are asked to go to lunch or take a break) with my colleagues and there is a difference of opinion.

There are those who say that a genealogist's work files are the intellectual property of the genealogist and no permission from the client is needed to share them. That includes publishing them. At the other end of the spectrum are those who say that the files belong to the client.

I take a middle ground.

I don't trouble myself with the issue of file ownership. My father, who was in business, told me that client/customer good will is of the utmost importance. Therefore, I do not share client research information without first checking with the client and obtaining written permission to do so, no matter what the legal intricacies. I maintain copies of all work I do for clients for future reference for that client - if the client relationship ends, the files go into storage.

This philosophy governs what to do with my files when I "am at a logical stopping place." My will contains specific instructions to my executor not only to settle my debts, but to attempt to return client files to the client at the last known address for them. If the client can't be located with a reasonable amount of effort, the files are to be destroyed. Financial provision is made for them to do so.

I have been in business for 25 years and my work files extend back that far. Some are in storage. Many of my colleagues howl that it is a "crime" to destroy all that work without sharing it. They are entitled to their opinion.

But think about what sort of information might be in a client file besides genealogy:

1) personal information on a client and his or her immediate family, such as birth dates and mother's maiden name

2) personal financial information of the client

3) your own personal information that you might share with a client


And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

There's also the fact that that many of this genealogist's clients are probably themselves deceased.

Unfortunately, most of us don't think about what happens to our client files after our deaths. I would guess that this local genealogist made no such provision in her will, if she had one.

You say that you may not have the time to sort through all of the files and figure out which cover her personal genealogy and which are for her clients. My own personal genealogy I keep separate from my client work, but evidently she did not? As for the client work, how much of it is work "in progress" and not proven? Can you evaluate the work in that regard?

A few years ago, I was shipped a dozen or more boxes of a deceased client by her daughters and asked to go through and evaluate them as to what was "worth donating to a genealogical society." I found that most of the work was from published sources or contained in correspondence with others and that little, if any of it, was worth donating. I was then asked to ship the boxes to a sister of the deceased client for her to organize for the family.

I was paid by the estate for this work, and was reimbursed for the shipping cost. It took me about twenty hours all told.

It's a tough call, and I don't envy your situation. If you don't have the time to sort through and evaluate it, I would err on the side of pitching it all.

Gordon Remington
SLC


astaley <> wrote:
All,

I am in need of some expert advice.

In 1992, a member of our genealogical society (a professional, certified
genealogist) passed away. The Society was given about 5 boxes of items and a
collection of books from her estate. At the time, someone went through the
boxes and marked (in general) what they contain. Nothing more has basically
been done with them.

Our Society is in the process of "thinking" about merging with another local
society and several of us are trying to clean-up and clear out our office.

Now the question - what do we do with the professional's work? The boxes
contain her personal genealogy and professional work. There are letters from
the 1970's (that I have found so far) with clients. There are *lots* of
pedigree charts. There are composision notebooks of notes (not necessarily
broken down by personal/professional). There are 3x5 client cards. There are
slides (probably from presentations). There are typed family histories (does
not indicate by whom they were written).

She was an LDS member and probably some/most of her own research is filed
with them, but to figure out which might be a time consuming endeavor.

I don't want to pitch all of it; a lot of work went into gathering the data.
However, I don't want to do anything that would violate someone's privacy.

Help! Any advice will be most appreciated. If we decide to merge, the other
Society does not have a lot of storage space.

Ann Staley



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