[Aztlan] Accessing Files at the INAH Archives Tecnicos, Mexico City

[David Hixson]

FORWARDED MESSAGE FROM ELAINE SCHELE <elaineschele at gmail.com>
MODERATOR'S NOTE - I'M SURE ELAINE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADDITIONAL RESPONSES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elaine wrote --

Last week, I sent out a question to the list concerning the rules and
procedures at the INAH Archives Tecnicos in Mexico City.  I asked if
anyone knew whether or not the use of scanners, cameras, and computers
were allowed inside and if there was anyone willing to give Virginia and
I some advice or special instructions.  I only got 4 replies.  Here is a
summary of what I received:

> Only Informes filed more than 5 years ago can be viewed by the public without the permission of the Project Director (but sometimes the project directors do not allow their reports to be released to the public at all).

> Therefore,  it is best to contact the project director of the archaeological site from which the report came that you want to look at first.

> In that meeting you need to explain your objectives, how the information will be used, the final product of your research

> The "archivo tecnico" section is supervised by staff members (secretarias) who administer the granting of permission to consult the "informes" that are 5-years old 

> Finally, when you get the informe, usually you only can read it in the Archaeology Section, or maybe in the Library of the Centro-INAH. 

> There are not xerox machines available for the public, so be prepared to scan the section of your interest. 

> You can scan, photograph, take notes, but not to take the informe away from the Centro-INAH. You can consult the informes as many times as you need when you have the permission. 

> After obtaining local authorizations, I was able to bring in a hand scanner and laptop for the documents I was able to review. 

> Be flexible and you will most likely, perhaps, maybe, could, or might get the information you want. Remember, you are on their turf.

> There is a time limit of some sort, and for recent informes they will only allow copies (they will xerox) of something like up to 5 pages. 

> For older informes, I think it is possible to copy much more material. I haven't tried scanning things, but my guess is that the requirements with respect to time limits would be the same as photocopying. I don't know if they object to people scanning their own materials, or whether the staff has to make copies (xeroxes). 

> There does not seem to be any rule against bringing computers in - I think one time I set up and recorded tables of data directly into Excel from printed tables in an informe.