Ethics of Access in Displaced Archives

This paper presents an exploratory review of archival literature on access to displaced archives. In order to understand the ethical imperatives that govern access to displaced archives, archivists must navigate a complex web of competing moral claims, contradictory legal frameworks, shifting national security norms, and customary practices that reflect centuries of colonization, occupation, and conquest. In the absence of either rigorous professional engagement or a clear ethical framework, institutions managing displaced archives may establish policies that unnecessarily restrict access, violate the values of the creators, privilege certain groups of users over others, or inflict harm upon members of the originating community.