ShipLibrary Blog

American Archives Month: How to Contribute

Now that you've learned a lot about what SU Archives has, and what SU Archives staff does, you might be wondering how you can contribute materials to the Archives.

Depending on who you are, and what you've got, this might take different forms.

If you work for Shippensburg University, the records in your office or department are not your personal records. They are university property, and can be transferred to the Archives based on the university's record retention policy. This can be found on the university shared (S) drive under the directory Public > Employee > Right to Know. If you have questions, contact University Archivist Christy Fic (cmfic@ship.edu).

The Athletic & Recreation Master Plan (above) is an example of a record that should be transferred to the University Archives.

When a private individual (such as an alum or community member) gives materials to an archives, we call this a donation. Read our collection policy and gift policy to learn more about what we accept. We ask donors to sign a deed of gift. This is a formal agreement between the individual (donor) and the institution (Shippensburg University Archives). It is what we use to document the transfer of materials and keep track of what is coming into the archives. Note that SU Archives cannot appraise donations. If you are interested in donating something that may have a high monetary value, contact the SU Foundation. The Foundation can assist donors in finding appraisers and provide paperwork that documents the donation for tax purposes.

If you have digital materials you would like to give to the Archives, we have several avenues that might suit your needs. These online forms will allow you to upload digital files in a snap.

• We're all living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Share your photos, videos, and more by visiting the SU Community Response to COVID-19 site. We'd love to see how this pandemic impacted your fall move-in experience; the way you socialize with classmates, friends, and coworkers; how dining services has adapted; how you teach; and more.
• We are also living through a period of great social unrest. If you have attended a protest against police violence, or participated in other activist pursuits to further social justice causes, please consider submitting photos, videos, speeches, etc. using our Central PA Protests form. We are particularly interested in activism taking place in Shippensburg and the surrounding area. But if you are a student and spent the summer back in your hometown, we'd be glad to see how your participated in events in your town.
• SU Archives, the Pride Center, and Dr. Steve Burg of the History/Philosophy Dept are collaborating to collect stories and memorabilia that will help our university better understand, and tell the story of, our campus LGBTQ+ community. We welcome your contributions to the LGBTQ+ History Project.

If you have questions about contributing materials to SU Archives, please contact University Archivist Christy Fic (cmfic@ship.edu). Thank you for helping us preserve and share Ship's story!