UNH Library Policies

Purpose:

This document seeks to provide guidance on the development of and access to the University Archives collections, and functions as a set of rules that inform curatorial guidance for its acquisitions.

 

Introduction:

 

The University Archives is a collection portfolio that constitutes one half of Milne Special Collections and Archives. The University Archives works closely with Special Collections to develop a curatorial profile that represents the needs of the University, the University System, and the Granite State.

The University Archives was established in October 1992 by a National Historic Publications and Records Commission Grant. Working collaboratively with Special Collections, the University Archives collects select records that document the administrative history of the University System of New Hampshire (USNH), and the institutional, social, and curricular history of its Durham campus (UNH), its programs, its research-based mission, and the members of its community. It is the final repository destination for all university records of historic, administrative, and research value.

As of 2018, the University Archives also stewards the University Museum collections, which consists of ephemera and material culture that reflects the history and heritage of UNH.

 

Mission:

 

The University Archives defines its purpose in three distinct ways:

• It acts as the official research center and repository for the history of the University of New Hampshire.
• It provides information services to assist and enrich University curriculum, administration, and operation.
• It promotes knowledge and understanding of the origins, programs, and goals of the University.

The University Archives seeks to accomplish its purpose through collecting materials of historic value, providing instructional services, facilitating research access to its unique collections, supporting research projects from the campus community, working collaboratively with the UNH Library to create engaging programming, and extending community outreach to campus partners and with regional communities of practice invested in cultural heritage preservation.

 

Audience and Research Policy:

 

The University Archives works with Special Collections to serve members of the public, scholarly researchers from other institutions, and the university community at large including students, administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and family of alumni.

As an administrative and academic repository tasked with providing support for UNH, the primary constituents of the University Archives are the members of the University community. As such, their requests and needs will receive priority.

 

Criteria, Scope and Format

 

The collecting interests and acquisition activities of the University Archives have evolved in response to the rapidly changing information environment of the University and its numerous research programs at the University, as well as the information needs of the public.

Each of the following groups generate or hold permanent records that are eligible for acquisition by the University Archives:

• The University System, Administration and University Leadership; The Board of Trustees, the Office of the President, the Provost, the Offices of the Vice Provosts and Vice Presidents; and other relevant leadership bodies. Records originating from the University System will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
• Administrative Offices: including the Office of the Registrar, research centers, athletics, facilities management, and other administrative hubs across campus.
• Colleges and Programs: Records from the Office of the Dean at each college at the Durham Campus, and the various office files departments of each college.
• Tenured Faculty, including papers, correspondence, research files, faculty committee files, and college committee files. Faculty monographs are also collected but have their own collecting parameters and policy.
• Senior Lecturers: correspondence, research files, and college committee files.
• Staff: including PAT, and OS committee work and files, and records that reflect outstanding service history to UNH.
• Student Life: records and materials that chronicle the curricular and co-curricular activities of both undergraduate and graduate students, with focus on student organizations, The New Hampshire newspaper, and other student publications, letters, journals, diaries, photographs, and scrapbooks.

The records in question reflect the salient administrative, legal, social, cultural or historical activities of the University. These records become eligible for acquisition and are considered historic records when they are not needed for the daily administration, research, or operation of their creators, and are therefore inactive records.

Acquisitions are made in all formats, including analog, digital, and born-digital materials. For more information about how the University Archives will process and host digital and born-digital materials, contact the University Archivist about the forthcoming digital preservation policy.

For more information about the types of records we collect, please consult our webpage on Transferring Your Records to the University Archives.

Present Identified Strengths:

 

• UNH Administrative history during the 20th century, especially from the Office of the President and Student Affairs.
• The founding and early history of the New Hampshire College for Mechanic Arts and Agriculture.
• Select departmental research and curricular activity in various Colleges.
• 20th century University athletics history.
• University memorabilia and ephemera from the 20th century.

Collecting Priorities:

 

• Born digital records of essential administrative value from the 2000's to present-day.
• Non-administrative-facing materials detailing student life, including publications, scrapbooks, photographs, organizational activities, and activism on campus.
• Staff scholarship, activity, and service, as it relates to the administration and operation of the University.
• Faculty and lecturer papers that reflect their curricular and scholarship goals, and records that detail the departmental needs of the Colleges.
• Curricular development of all colleges and research activity of all centers at UNH Durham Campus since 2000.
• The Oral History Program, which seeks to actively create and preserve institutional and community knowledge across campus.
• Community and cultural affinity-centered social organizations, programming, and initiatives sourced from all over campus.

 

Acquisitions and Deaccessions:

 

The University Archives will not accept materials without legal transfer of title through a deed of gift, internal records acquisition form, or another type of official written acknowledgement.

The University Archives cannot accept gifts that pose major preservation hazards (such as mold, pests, water or fire damage, or other extraordinary issues), that come with special conditions and constraints the University Archives cannot honor; or require extensive processing or treatment. We also do not collect fine art unless it is deemed directly related to a larger collection.

The University Archives does not collect individual items unless deemed appropriate by the Archivist.

Materials that do not reflect the University Archives scope of collecting or do not contain sufficient archival value may be deaccessioned, subject to the review of the terms of acquisition and library leadership.

 

Statement on Museum Collections:

 

The University Archives also stewards the University Museum collections, which is a portfolio of nearly 1,000 individual items that include textiles, ephemera, artwork, trophies, and other objects from UNH history.

While exceptions may be made, there is a moratorium on donations for the Museum, and it is presently a closed collection.

 

Policy Review:

 

The Library's University Archivist is responsible for monitoring and updating this policy as needed. Questions about this policy can be sent to ask@unh.libanswers.com.

 

Created by Kai Uchida 10/24

 

Adapted from the Society of American Archivists Collection Development and Maintenance Steering Committee

Reviewed by APA Program: 10/24

Reviewed by Library Faculty: 10/24

Approved by the Dean of the UNH Library: 11/24