Acquisition Practices

When presented with an opportunity to add new material to our archives, several factors must be considered. Spec staff and faculty use the following criteria to determine if an acquisition is prudent.

  • Are the materials related to one of Spec’s collection focus areas?
  • Are the materials rare, unique, or historically valuable?
  • Will the materials add meaningfully to future research?
  • Are the materials likely to be used by researchers and other patrons?
  • Is the donor or seller in a position to transfer legal ownership to the U of I?
  • Are the materials in stable condition and can they be reasonably preserved for future use with minimal conservation work?
  • Do the materials pose any risk to other archival holdings due to contamination or other hazards?
  • Does Spec have the physical space needed to accept the materials?
  • What state of arrangement are the materials in?
  • Are there restrictions associated with the materials and will the public have free and open access to the information?

It is acknowledged that choosing to add materials to Spec is a subjective process based upon the best judgment of the people working in the department at the time of donation. Additions of materials more than one cubic foot in volume should generally take place after consultation with the Head of Special Collections and Archives, who reserves the right to make final decisions on acquisitions. In cases involving very large collections, potentially sensitive material, purchasing of material, or the possibility of a financial gift, the Dean of the Library should be included in the decision-making process.

Donations Internal Transfers Purchasing Born-Digital Materials

Donations

Items may come to Spec in a variety of ways. The most common occurrence is for materials to be donated. The donor may be the record creator, but often they are a relative, colleague, or collector. Potential gifts are generally preceded by an email, phone call, or in-person visit by the prospective donor. Spec staff or faculty should use the acquisition criteria list above to determine if the donation would be a benefit to the repository. If the answer is no, Spec representatives may offer alternatives locations to the donor for possible archiving (ex: Latah County Historical Society, Museum of North Idaho, etc.). If the answer is yes, the item would be a good candidate for Spec, the donor should fill out a Deed of Gift form. If there are materials that the department feels should not be included in the collection, follow the return or disposal procedures on the Deed of Gift form the donor filled out.

It is important to have a clear understanding of any restrictions to access proposed by the donor. Donors may request that materials remain sealed for a set amount of time or have other requirements for who can access the materials. The Head of Special Collections and Archives will ultimately determine if that restriction request is feasible for the department to accommodate.

Mailing Address Special Collections and Archives, University of Idaho Library, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 2351, Moscow, ID 83844-2351

Internal Transfers

University records may come to Spec through internal transfers. In such cases, Spec representatives should attempt to communicate with the transferring unit ahead of time to ensure only appropriate materials are moved. Special considerations related to acquiring university archival materials include privacy concerns around personnel records, space constraints, the redundancy of preserving widely published materials, and how the materials relate to the essential work of the university.

Materials and the boxes or envelopes in which they are transferred should be clearly identified and labeled before transfer, and departments transferring records to Spec should supply a complete inventory of the items being transferred. When records are not approved for archival retention, the sending department will be notified and allowed to decide whether the materials are to be returned or discarded/shredded. 

The following requirements shall be met before any transfer of records to the Library Special Collections and Archives department:

  • An initial consultation with Special Collections and Archives to discuss scope of collection
  • Detailed and accurate labeling of record boxes/folders/enclosures
  • Complete box inventories and transfer form

Preparing Records for Transfer

  • The Special Collections and Archives prefers a standard sized durable box 15” in width x 11.5” in width x 10.5” in height and made of an acid neutral or acid free material, if possible
  • Pack records in the same order in which they are/were filed in the office
  • Leave space within the container for ease of reference (about 2-3” of working space)
  • Remove or replace hanging file folders with plain folders
  • Provide notification about condition of records, such as items that are fragile or unique/rare or that require special archival attention
  • Remove any records that contain sensitive personnel information, such as performance reviews or letters of recommendation, or student information protected by FERPA
  • Don’t send boxes of unfoldered records
  • Boxes should ideally weigh no more than 35 lbs.

Labeling and Numbering Boxes

  • Label boxes on the side (under the handle)
  • Using a marker or pencil, clearly note on the side of the box:
    • The name, division, or other organizational unit that the documents are associated with
    • The type of records within the box
    • The year or year range of records within the box
    • Any sealed or restricted records series
  • Number the boxes with consecutive numbers - for example: 1993-1, 1993-2, 1993-3, etc.

Box Inventories

  • Each records box shall contain an inventory/container list. If the inventory was created electronically, please provide a copy with the transfer form.

Records Transfer Form

  • Attach a copy of the inventory to the transfer form
  • Please keep a copy of the transfer form
  • The transfer form should accompany the records at the time of transfer or can be sent electronically or by mail

Terms and Conditions

  • It is understood that management of transferred materials becomes the responsibility of Special Collections and Archives, including decisions about retention, access, arrangement, distribution, and exhibition. Decisions will be informed by professional best practices and university priorities
  • Once transferred, items in the archives do not circulate, and all access to said items will be restricted to the Library premises

What NOT to Transfer:

  • Non-permanent records
  • Documents not related to either the University of Idaho or one of Spec’s collecting areas
  • Records transitory in nature, having no long-term retention value
  • More than 2 copies of anything
  • Plaques, trophies, or framed awards. Instead, send a photograph of the achievement to Spec for documentation purposes
  • Non-archival personnel files or student records
  • Active records. If department regularly uses the record, please do not transfer it to the Archives until access no longer needed.

Forms:

Purchasing

In rare occasions, materials may be acquired through purchase. Such purchases happen at the discretion of the Head of Special Collections and Archives and should be based on the acquisition criteria listed above.

Born-Digital Materials

When discussing born-digital assets, speak with the donor about a basic inventory and whether there are encrypted* materials. An inventory will help when understanding the scope of the materials and how they fit within the archives. Be sure to use virus scans and other technologies to view and access the files to protect against viruses or corrupted material.

  • Transfer Types
    1. Physical media (CDs, DVDs, USB drives, floppy disks, hard drives, etc)
    2. Cloud files/folders (SharePoint, Google Drive, etc.)
    3. Analog materials to digitize and return to donor
  • Returning scanned materials:
    • If a donor wishes to have staff scan and return physical materials, staff should still follow accessioning procedures. If the digital materials accompany physical materials, everything should be included in the accession record with a note of what was scanned and returned.

For documentation on how to ingest materials, see Ingesting Digital Materials.

*If encrypted files are donated or transferred, Special Collections and Archives does not have the capability to access these files in-house and may need a third party to retrieve materials.

Scope of Collections Accession and Processing Procedures