Sentry
Paranormal Adept
This may not be the best place to post this, but it has to do with passing the torch, or seeing that there is a torch available to pass.
In the May issue of Saucer Smear, Jim Moseley has begun a series of articles called "What Happens When UFO Research Organizations Die?" The first installment tells the tragic tale of what befell the APRO files after the death of Coral Lorenzen. The APRO hands are now in private hands and are not available to researchers.
The article series seems to be focusing on organizations, but individual researchers should make provisions to protect their work after their death as well. I heard that John Keel's files were (at least in part) thrown away after his death. The same thing could have easily happened to Gray Barker's files, but luckily they were saved and are available to the public in the Clarksburg WV library. Most UFO cases are in effect "cold cases". An obscure bit of data could easily prove valuable years later, but if lost or destroyed, future researchers will never see it.
Sadly, we're mortal. Everyone should have a will, but researchers especially should carry it a step further and protect their records.
In the May issue of Saucer Smear, Jim Moseley has begun a series of articles called "What Happens When UFO Research Organizations Die?" The first installment tells the tragic tale of what befell the APRO files after the death of Coral Lorenzen. The APRO hands are now in private hands and are not available to researchers.
The article series seems to be focusing on organizations, but individual researchers should make provisions to protect their work after their death as well. I heard that John Keel's files were (at least in part) thrown away after his death. The same thing could have easily happened to Gray Barker's files, but luckily they were saved and are available to the public in the Clarksburg WV library. Most UFO cases are in effect "cold cases". An obscure bit of data could easily prove valuable years later, but if lost or destroyed, future researchers will never see it.
Sadly, we're mortal. Everyone should have a will, but researchers especially should carry it a step further and protect their records.