Hi Penny,
I was thinking of asking for presenters for a panel along similar lines - what fortune you've already done so!
Recently I've been processing images and documents related to the 1980 Penitentiary of New Mexico prison riot (part of the records of the Public Defender of NM). Images and witness testimony are extremely graphic at times. As well, 1980 is recent enough that many people keenly remember the riot. New Mexico is a unique state, with a rather small and close-knit community; many people knew someone who was involved in the riot, either as an inmate or corrections department staff.
This collection brings up all sorts of archival issues I've never before encountered quite so keenly, including privacy issues, dealing with almost contemporary medical and forensic records, restrictive access, professional ethics, and so on.
A further topic for discussion might be how the archivist herself manages processing such tragic documents. These boxes were untouched since they were accessioned, simply because staff and even management did not want to look inside. In fact, it was only a proposed Penitentiary "Museum" and exhibit by Dept. of Corrections that finally spurred the processing.
Please let me know if this sounds fitting to your panel concept. I'd love to present.
Best,
Emily
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