The Administration of Access to Confidential Records in State Archives: Common Practices and the Need for a Model Law

According to the "Archivist's Code," issued in 1955 by the Archivist of the United States, the archivist is to promote "access to records to the fullest extent consistent with the public interest," always observing proper restrictions on the use of records and working for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. The author examines the several approaches and practices used by fourteen state archival programs to administer access to restricted records. Included are in-depth studies of Indiana and Michigan. Utilizing the results of this survey and building upon the studies of Virginia Stewart and others, the author proposes that archivists/records administrators become more active on the access question and that they better appreciate the program objectives to be achieved when addressing access administration. The Georgia Records Act is offered as a basis for the development by NAGARA and SAA of a comprehensive model law and a more systematic understanding of the administration of access to public records.