Position Statement Regarding the Legal Dispute between the Texas General Land Office and Daughters of the Republic of Texas

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) and Texas General Land Office (GLO) are in a legal dispute regarding the ownership of approximately 38,000 books, maps, flags, artwork, and manuscripts housed at the Alamo Research Center. Because employees of both institutions are members of the Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA) and this case will ultimately be settled in the courts, the SSA Executive Board will not advocate for either the GLO or the DRT regarding this dispute. However, SSA does urge both parties to seek a resolution to preserve and provide continued open access to these important research materials, both during the court process and after custody has been established. SSA also urges its fellow archives professionals and its membership to follow best practices regarding accessioning gifts.

The SSA Executive Board