Perhaps this is you. Your boss (or other important resource allocator) demands that you go out and collect an important batch of papers that you KNOW have been promised to another institution. Sure, you could say "no" and hope your professional ethics can protect you, but then again, who wants to really test THAT safety net? You have no choice but to appear in the enemy's territory and stealthily contact the donor, hoping that your Ryder truck won't attract any more attention on campus than a batch of freshmen playing "humans and zombies." You load up the boxes, get a signature on the deed of gift, and hie yourself off to your own repository and unload the loot.
Archives are not supposed to be a competitive business. Like Rodney King, we should all plaintively shout "Can't we all just get along?" when it is time to shake the bushes for new material. But sometimes bagging a trophy collection that your boss may want requires tossing the collection development policy to the wind, and a willingness to engage in covert donor contact. Be very careful, and burn this entry after reading.
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