University Archives: Donating to the Archives

The DSU Archives is seeking to fill gaps in campus publications.  We are particularly interested in:

• The Hornet student newspaper prior to 1970
• The Echo alumni newsletter
• The Statesmen yearbook prior to 1975 and select others
• Select Course Catalogs

Overview:

The Delaware State University Archives and Special Collections are the official repository for all non-current university records of enduring historical, legal, fiscal, and/or administration value. The records document the university's functions in the areas of administration, academic enrichment, research, public relations, student activities, and cultural enhancement. Materials are considered to have permanent value if they document core components of university origins, aims, programs, and goals. The archives collects records that are about the University and members of the DSU community.

The archives collects, on a discretionary basis, the personal papers of prominent DSU faculty, alumni, and organizations instrumental to the University’s heritage as a historically black college.

The Archives reserves the right to reject, deaccession, or dispose of materials that:

1. are outside of the established collection scope;
2. duplicate existing materials;
3. may be more appropriately housed at another institution;
4. are inaccessible to researchers due to copyright or other restrictions; and/or
5. the Archives lacks the resources to provide adequate space, staffing, supplies, preservation treatments, and/or access.

Three-Dimensional Objects:

The University Archives primarily collects records in the form of papers and photographs. Other formats such as three-dimensional objects will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the University Archivist.  She will consider the artifacts’ informational value and determine if the artifacts can be properly cared for in the long term.

Objects are often purely mementos. While the archives will collect a selection of these commemorative types of items, we will be selective. These items are often bulky and require specialized storage, which may not be difficult to provide. Additionally, some mementos are thoroughly documented through photographs or written record, so it may not necessary to collect examples of the object itself. Exceptions are obviously made for objects that do convey historical information (i.e. time capsules, plaques, trophies) or those of significant institutional value.

Departmental Records Transfers:

All transfers of official university records must be accompanied by a transmittal notice, identifying the office of origin, the name of the party transferring the records to the University Archives, and provide an inventory of the materials being transferred. Individuals requesting the transfer should inform the archivist of any FERPA or other confidential information concerns related to the records.

Donation Evaluations:

The University Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, under the direction of the Director of the Library, retains the responsibility and authority to determinine which records will be accepted into the Archives. Records or donations should never be sent to the Archives without prior consultation with the University Archivist. Those records and documents sent to the Archives which lack relevance to the main function of the Archives will be returned or discarded.

The University Archivist is unable to perform monetary appraisals for materials donated to the library. 

Archival appraisal is the process of determining the academic values of materials for the purpose of activities such as research or exhibit curation. It does not involve financial estimates.