Shippensburg University Archives and Special Collections
COLLECTION MANAGEMENT POLICY
Collection Development
Shippensburg University Archives and Special Collections collects materials that document the University’s functions and activities over time. These records are of various types and formats, and include both non-current University records and unofficial records about the institution.
Acquisitions decisions must be guided by sound archival principles including legal and fiscal requirements, research value, relationship to existing collections, depth and breadth of coverage, gaps in current archival holdings, condition, and projected costs of processing and storage.
Donations: Unofficial University Records
The Archives depends largely upon alumni, retirees, and the local community for donations of unofficial records. Donated materials that meet the Archives’ mission and fit within its collecting scope are appreciated and are accepted as space allows, with consideration given to their condition, perceived significance, and probable level of future use. All donations, including manuscripts, realia, memorabilia, and ephemera, must be relevant to the existing collection, have unique and lasting value, and be in good physical condition, of a material that does not threaten other items in the collection. The ability to accept donations of fragile materials may include consideration of financial support for their preservation. Records that are closed to public access in perpetuity are not accepted. Donations must be accompanied by a Deed of Gift.
Records Transfers: Official University Records
Shippensburg University Archives and Special Collections acquires, maintains, and makes available for research the official records of Shippensburg University that have enduring administrative, legal, fiscal, and/or historical value. These records are non-current documentary materials created, received, and maintained by university personnel in conducting the official business of the university. As such, they document the history, functions, and operations of the institution. The Archives depends on the cooperation of the University community in its efforts to collect and preserve the official records of the University.
Types of Records to be Transferred to the Archives
• Accreditation reports and supporting documentation.
• Alumni records including minutes and reports of activities of the Alumni Association.
• Annual budgets, summary financial records and audit reports.
• Athletic teams’ records including team rosters and programs.
• Audio-visuals materials documenting the activities and development of the institution such as photographs, negatives, films, audio and video recordings, and electronic records.
• College and departmental records documenting programs, activities and events.
• Correspondence, subject files, and reports of the officer of any units within the University that operate with a high degree of independence. (ROTC, Foundation Office, etc).
• Course descriptions, class schedules, enrollment reports, graduation rosters and other reports issued by the Office of Academic Records and Summer School on a regular basis.
• Electronic copies of SU doctoral dissertations and master theses.
• Electronic records stored on tape, hard drives, CDs, DVDs, or other formats. These may be deposited in the Archives, however no guarantee of perpetual data migration is implied by receipt of outmoded or evolving formats. Material submitted in current electronic formats or in print are preferred.
• Minutes, memoranda, proceedings, correspondence, reports, transcripts, lists of officers, constitutions, and by-laws of academic and administrative university corporate bodies and committees, including files and reports concerning projects, activities and functions.
• Oral history interviews: transcripts and/or recordings.
• Personal papers of administrators, faculty, staff, and students which relate to the University's mission or activities.
• Publications: one copy of all programs, catalogs, journals, monographs, yearbooks, directories, faculty/staff rosters, newsletters, brochures, posters, announcements, and ephemeral materials issued by the University or its subdivisions.
• Student organizations’ records: meeting minutes, constitutions, by-laws, newsletters, photographs, membership records, and records of events.
• Unofficial documentation as it relates to the University, e.g., publications, audio and video recordings, photographs, memorabilia, scrapbooks, and artifacts.
Records should be transferred to the Archives in the order in which they have been maintained. Include a Records Transfer Form, keeping a copy for your records. Please inform the Archives staff at specialcollections@ship.edu before sending materials so that delivery may be anticipated. In cases involving large quantities of documents, the Archives should be consulted before records are packed for delivery.
Types of records which should generally NOT be transferred to the Archives
• Blank forms and unused printed materials.
• Duplicate materials; send only the original and annotated copies.
• Student and personnel records.
• Papers, reports, working papers and drafts that have not been published, sending the published versions to the Archives instead.
• Routine letters of transmittal and acknowledgement.
• Records of specific financial transactions; sample selections may be preserved.
• Non-personally addressed correspondence such as campus memoranda (except for one copy from the issuing office).
Displays and Loans
Displaying archival materials generates interest in the collection and promotes the University as a whole. The Archives reserves the right to include unrestricted materials in exhibition displays and publications in accordance with accepted archival practices. Generally, materials are exhibited in display cases within Ezra Lehman Memorial Library, but on occasion traveling exhibits may be prepared for temporary display in other campus locations and at other institutions. Materials may be loaned to other libraries when conditions for exhibition are in accord with the policies of Shippensburg University Archives and Special Collections. Written approval by the University Archivist may be granted upon the satisfactory demonstration of proper insurance coverage, transportation, and environmental monitoring.
Deaccessioning Policy
The Archives reserves the right to deaccession materials at a future date if, upon reappraisal, they are no longer deemed to be of research value or do not reflect the subject areas and/or types of materials collected by the Archives. Duplicates may also be deaccessioned. Likewise, content that has been transferred to another, archivally sound medium may be deaccessioned if the original format is not sustainable over time.
Disposition of Deaccessioned Materials
Deaccessioned materials may be offered to a more appropriate institution, sold, destroyed, or returned to the donor as appropriate. Any such disposition of materials will be governed by the following considerations:
• Materials must be free of legal obstacles. No materials will be deaccessioned when a written agreement between the donor and the Archives contradicts such action. A reasonable attempt will be made to consult with donors when materials are considered for deaccessioning.
• In the absence of donor restrictions, deaccessioned materials with financial or research value will be offered to a more appropriate institution or sold as appropriate. Materials will not be sold or donated to Shippensburg University employees. All proceeds from the sale of such materials will be used solely to further the preservation or development of the Archives collections.
• Deaccessioned materials with no administrative, legal, informational, evidential, financial, or research value may be destroyed.
• The method of disposition will be determined jointly by the University Archivist and the
Archives staff and will be noted in the accession record.
Special Collections
The SU Archives & Special Collections will solicit and collect records and papers which are neither official University records nor faculty papers, but which relate to the history of Shippensburg University and the state of Pennsylvania. Examples include:
Are you a member of the administration, staff, or faculty? Wondering what records from your office or department belong in the University Archives? Consult the university's Record Retention Policy. This policy can be found under the Employee "Right to Know" directory of the university shared drive. If you are having trouble locating the document, or have questions, please contact the Archives for assistance.
Material for the collections may be either donated of solicited. It is not anticipated that material will be purchased or accepted on loan. Any exceptions to the gift policy must be negotiated with the University administration and the SU Foundation and will be governed by the specific terms of the written agreement.
Donations of books and other materials, for which the donor wishes to be recognized and receive an income tax eduction, will be processed according to these guidelines:
The Archives & Special Collections Librarian will annotate the list to indicate those items deemed appropriate for addition to the collection and forward the list to the SU Foundation office. The annotated list will be returned to the potential benefactor by the SU Foundation. Upon acceptance of the gift-in-kind by the SU Foundation, in consultation with the University, the benefactor should contact the Archives & Special Collections Librarian to arrange for delivery of the accepted items to the library. The library will forward a list of accepted items to the SU Foundation Office. The SU Foundation will send a written acknowledgement to the benefactor of the gift-in-kind items added to the library collection. If a donor does not wish to be recognized for donations, items will be accepted at the discretion of the Archives & Special Collections Librarian with the understanding that:
Donors will fill out and sign a Deed of Gift. Gifts are considered outright donations to be used in the best interest of the SU Archives & Special Collections. Upon receipt of a transmittal from the SU Foundation, donations become the sole and irrevocable property of the SU Archives & Special Collections. Unless otherwise restricted by copyright law or by the donor and agreed to by the SU Archives & Special Collections at the time of acquisition, all copyrights are conveyed to the SU Archives & Special Collections. The Archives can assume no responsibility for abuse of copyright restrictions by users of research materials.
Donations of historical material to a public research facility may be tax deductible. However, the SU Archives & Special Collections cannot appraise donations for tax purposes. The donor shall be solely responsible for ascertaining the fair market value of gifts to the SU Foundation. For the protection of the donor, it is recommended that such appraisals be done by a disinterested third party and before title to the material is conveyed to the SU Archives & Special Collections. The Library and the SU Foundation staff will assist benefactors in identifying appropriate appraisers. A receipt, letter of appraisal, or statement of value shall accompany gifts with a value of $5000 or less. The Internal Revenue Service appraisal requirement for gifts in excess of $5000 may be obtained from the SU Foundation. University and Foundation officials shall not give opinions concerning the fair market value of donated property.
Usually, accepted gifts are considered important historical resources at the time they are acquired. However, no individual or institution can predict or govern the changing attitudes of future generations, nor guarantee permanency beyond the best available preservation procedures.
The SU Archives & Special Collections reserves the right to reevaluate and reappraise historical material in its holdings and to de-accession them when appropriate. De-accessioned collections and items weeded from collections during processing, due to duplication, irrelevance, limited use, or deterioration, will be offered to the original donor or his/her agent if so requested at the time of donation. If the donor wishes not to reclaim the material or cannot be located, the SU Archives & Special Collections reserves the right to offer the material to other depositories or discard the items. Any material declared to be expendable must be approved by the Archives & Special Collections Librarian.
