A. Public Records:
General Principle
Records pertaining to the Museum collection which are public
records within the meaning of the Freedom of Access law ( 1 M.R.S.A.
§401et. seq.) shall be made available for public
inspection and copying upon request as required by law. Fees for copying shall
be set by the Director, unless otherwise determined by law, executive order or
applicable rule.
The Director or the Registrar shall respond in a timely
manner to any request for inspection and/or copying of public records held by
the Museum.
B. Historical
Records
1. Historical records of the Museum
not currently on exhibit may be inspected by scholars, students or members of
the public upon permission by the Director or his designee. Access to such
records will not be unreasonably denied. Any decision regarding access to such
records will be consistent with the Museum's responsibility for safeguarding
its collections and shall take into consideration the following:
a. The possibility of deterioration,
mutilation, loss, or dislocation of research data and records;
b. Interference with administrative,
professional, and technical operations and duties of the Museum; and
c. Undue interference with the Museum's
ability to furnish services to other users of the Museum.
2. The Director may deny access to historical
records which are likely to suffer damage or dislocation resulting from public
inspection.
C.
Archeological Records
Access to records relating to archeological artifacts, sites
and related data will be governed by the provisions of this rule and 27
M.R.S.A. §377 and rules issued pursuant to its authority. In the event of
a conflict, the provisions of 27 M.R.S.A. §377 and the joint rule of the
Museum and the Maine Historic Preservation Commission shall govern.
D. Procedures
1. Request for access to public, historical
or archeological records held by the Museum must be submitted to the Director
or the Registrar on a form designated by him. Requests must be specifically
descriptive of the records sought or the information requested that Museum
staff can identify and meet the request.
2. Inspection of records held by the Museum
will, insofar as possible, take place outside the collections storage or
record-filing areas. No records may be inspected without staff supervision,
unless there is prior written approval of the Director. In general, the
Director will permit unsupervised access to public records only In the case of
Museum volunteers or project staff persons, upon recommendation of the relevant
staff.
