Strategies for Harmful Images

Overview

Graphic images and audiovisual material comprise a significant part of UT Austin Libraries' archival and digital collections. In order to address the ethical concerns raised by these items, as well as balancing valid research or community use, this guide aims to provide a series of strategies for determining display methods or removal.

The General Guidelines and some of the case studies are copied from the General Content Statements Guide.

If you have more questions about the content or this guide, please contact Devon Murphy at devon.murphy@austin.utexas.edu

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General Guidelines

The following are general practices that can be employed when harmful images appear in collections items. One or all of the following practices may need to be used. This list is subject to change based on what challenges collections items may present.

Review both the thumbnail image (seen on list records view, on aggregate Primo view) and the full image (seen on the full record view) for harmful content.
Evaluate the research value/benefit and individual or collective harm that the content presents.

If you want to redact and publish, you can:

Redact higher quality images, leaving only a PDF or lower-quality image.
Replace the thumbnail image for A/V content with another image. This can be another still from the same resource or a simple blank cover.
Replace the first page with another image for multi-page items with harmful content (for example, newspapers.)
Make an unredacted PDF available for download for some items.

If you do not want to publish, you can:

Set items to metadata only, with assets made available by request on a case-by-case basis.
For harmful content that is located on other pages of a resource, items should be handled on a case-by-case basis, choosing from the options outlined above.

Once a strategy has been implemented, create a general note field to explain the redaction(s) or setting to metadata only. A template on how to create this note can be found on the DAMS wiki. You can also click on the button on the right under the "UT DAMS-Specific Guidelines" header to access this template.

Case Studies

Jesús Tecú Osorio's Footage of Rabinal, Guatemala Collection

This collection contains A/V recordings of exhumations. Both the content statement and the covered thumbnails are meant to respect the individuals depicted as well as respecting cultural protocols that limit viewing of human remains. (Protocols for Native American Archival Materials, p. 12) Materials are not metadata only as the collections curator determined the items have significant research value as human rights documentation.

Image strategy used:

Grey image covering thumbnails that show human remains. (Example seen in list records view.)

Other actions taken:

Descriptions clearly state if an exhumation or human remains are shown in the recording.

Example

George I. Sánchez Papers

This collection contains photographs of deceased individuals. Both the content statement and the placeholder image are meant to respect the individuals depicted as well as respecting cultural protocols that limit viewing of human remains. (Protocols for Native American Archival Materials, p. 12) Materials are metadata only as the collections curator determined the level of graphic content and the lack of consent on the part of those depicted required the images to not be displayed. However, they are still open to research requests by way of the metadata-only record.

Image strategy used:

Removal of the image. placeholder image and metadata of the record is left in place.

Other actions taken:

Description/note field clearly states if human remains are shown in the image.

UT Libraries Metadata Documentation

Strategies for Harmful Images

Overview

General Guidelines

Case Studies

Image strategy used:

Other actions taken:

Example

Image strategy used:

Other actions taken:

Example

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