Ban on news site's access to materials lifted by UA

Researchers from the Washington Free Beacon may once again access special archives after a public dispute over the conservative news outlet's failure to follow library procedures at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

After the Free Beacon posted online an audio recording of Hillary Rodham Clinton being interviewed in the 1980s by longtime Arkansas journalist Roy Reed, the university in a June 17 letter suspended the Free Beacon from accessing the UA's special collections, including Reed's archives, citing researchers' failure to submit paperwork asking for permission to publish library materials.

The Free Beacon on Monday reported on its website that the suspension had been lifted.

UA spokesman Mark Rushing in an email wrote that the Free Beacon had notified the university of plans to send a researcher to campus Monday. The university then informed the Free Beacon that it notified Reed of the planned visit. Reed, a retired UA professor, told the Democrat-Gazette in July that he had no objection to the Free Beacon's use of a portion of the audio recording with Clinton.

"Given that the University has already informed Mr. Reed, which is the primary intent of the notification policy regarding publishing that your organization refuses to follow, the University encourages your researchers to access the materials in the library's Special Collections as often as they wish," Rushing wrote in a Thursday email to the Free Beacon. The university released the email at the request of the Democrat-Gazette.

UA's policy requires researchers to fill out a form asking permission before publishing materials obtained from the library's special collections.

After receiving the suspension letter, the Free Beacon denounced UA -- reporting that Carolyn Henderson Allen, UA's dean of libraries, had donated $500 in 2007 to Clinton's presidential campaign -- while the university noted the news outlet had been warned in February about not following proper procedure after publication of an article based on material pulled from another of the library's collections.

Other news outlets took notice of the dispute, with The Boston Globe publishing an editorial calling for the university to keep the archives open.

Despite the Free Beacon regaining access without filling out the forms, UA still asks researchers to submit such "permission-to-publish" forms.

"This is necessary so that the researcher can obtain proper copyright clearance and prevent infringement issues, especially if the copyright is held by a private individual," Rushing wrote in an email to the Free Beacon.

The university has noted that it has never denied such permission.

"Despite your organization's attempt to redirect the conversation, the singular message of this matter, one that we have communicated to your organization for more than five months now, is that the University Libraries is committed to ensuring that all patrons are treated equally. Yes, even when that means following standard library practices observed by all other parties," Rushing wrote.

NW News on 08/05/2014

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