Collection Development Policy

Collection Management Policy: Collection Development and Appraisal
Texas State University, October 2017

Currently under review. To be updated in Fall 2024.

The Special Collections and Archives actively curates a publicly-accessible research collection to serve the university itself, researchers, the local community, and the general public. To focus the scope of the collection and use resources effectively, potential acquisitions must meet specific criteria to be accepted and accessioned into the archives. 

Collection development policies help to define the selection of materials to enhance existing materials and create unique research strengths. Appraisal criteria are defined steps that archivists use to determine if select materials have enduring value to warrant long-term preservation in the archives.

Appraisal decisions require informed judgments to balance administrative and research interests while considering the resources needed to care for archival materials. In an effort to support effective and consistent decision making, this Collection Management Policy outlines a methodology for the selection and appraisal of materials for the Special Collections and Archives. This document is currently under review [Spring 2024].

Records with long-term administrative or historical value produced by University employees in the course of conducting official University business should be transferred to the archives when they are no longer needed for day-to-day administrative activities. Records will remain accessible to department staff following transfer to the Archives. When necessary, archives staff will work with departments to address privacy and confidentiality concerns.

The Special Collections and Archives is grateful for individuals who wish to enrich the archives by donating materials. Ideally, donated materials will be appraised prior to any physical transfer, and the archivist(s) will work directly with donors to arrange physical and legal transfer of materials. A deed of gift form is the standard instrument used to transfer ownership, assign copyright, and to document any other conditions of the gift.

a. Donated materials that have no copyright issues and no conditions imposed may, at the discretion of the archivist(s), be acknowledged by a gift letter in lieu of a deed of gift. University publications, such as Pedagogs and commencement programs, are typically acknowledged with a gift letter. Because a gift letter requires only one signature, this document simplifies the process of providing the donor with a record of the donation.

b. Donors who believe their gift has a monetary value of $5,000 or more must: · Complete and return a Donor Gift-in-Kind form, and attach a professional independent appraisal. IRS regulations prohibit the Special Collections and Archives from making monetary appraisals of donated collections. For a list of qualified independent appraisers, visit the American Society of Appraisers’ site: https://www.appraisers.org/

Materials sent to the Special Collections and Archives without prior authorization by or knowledge of the archivist(s), and materials that are donated to the archives without prior archival appraisal and acceptance, will be acknowledged with a gift letter. Unsolicited materials will be appraised in accordance with the appraisal policy.

Items placed on loan or deposit require allocation of staff time, storage space, and other resources. The Special Collections and Archives reserves the right to accept or decline materials on loan or on deposit as stated in the University Library Loan Acceptance Policy LB/OL 07.08.

The Special Collections and Archives strives to make all of its holdings available to researchers without restriction. However, materials that require access restrictions for a limited time may be accepted at the Archives' discretion.

Materials that are not accepted into the Special Collections and Archives will be subject to disposition by the archivist(s). Duplicates, materials that do not reflect collecting areas, materials in unsuitable physical condition or that exceed our ability to provide adequate care, and/or materials that do not possess sufficient archival value may be disposed in lieu of being accessioned. Disposition methods may include returning materials to the donor, forwarding materials to a more appropriate location or repository, shredding, recycling, or discarding in the trash.

When donations consist of or include University records, those records will be separated and housed in the appropriate series.

Records that may violate the right to privacy of students as delineated in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) will not be accepted. At the Archives' discretion, and on a case-by-case basis, select student records may be accepted when privacy protections no longer apply or if the records can be closed for a reasonable amount of time until the privacy protections expire.

All materials will be appraised to determine if they warrant inclusion in the Special Collections and Archives. Materials may be accepted or declined based on the archivists’ assessment. In some cases, the archivists may suggest another repository that may be a more appropriate home for the materials. 

A. Materials must fit within the current collecting scope of the Special Collections and Archives. 

B. Materials will be assessed by a set of criteria which include: provenance; authenticity and reliability; order and completeness; significance and quality; context and relation to other materials in the collection; access or use limitations. 

C. Materials will also be assessed for evidential value (how and why they were created), research value (content such as people, places, things), and artifactual value (unique characteristics of the physical item). 

D. Physical format, condition, and unique preservation needs will be assessed to determine if the Special Collections and Archives has the resources needed to adequately care for the materials. Materials may be declined if the resources necessary to process, preserve, and make the materials accessible to researchers are beyond the Archives’ capacity, or if the cost acquiring said resources outweighs the potential research value of the materials. 

E. Materials must be free of legal encumbrances and undue restrictions. A signed Deed of Gift is required to define the status of any copyrighted materials, confirm any conditions imposed, and transfer ownership of those materials. 

F. The Special Collections and Archives cannot and will not make promises regarding the processing, exhibition, digitization, publication, or other use of donated materials. 

G. The donor gives consent to the Special Collections and Archives to process, preserve, and use materials according to its needs. In some cases, this may include digitally reformatting materials or migrating existing digital content to new formats or environments.

The primary mission of the Special Collections and Archives is to collect, preserve, and make available the records of the University with enduring historical value. These materials are created in the normal course of business, documenting the evolution of the administration, policies, and vision as well as creating a record of the life and work of the institution. University records are transferred by the owning department when the records retention period has expired. Records series identified as having a “permanent” retention period (such as student transcripts and building construction records) may be transferred at any time for preservation purposes.

In addition to official records, the Special Collections and Archives actively collects materials that have a strong relationship to the University and enduring historical or research value. Collected materials may include memoirs and personal papers of faculty, staff and administrators, original research conducted though the work of the University, items that were separated from the university for a time, and artifacts relevant to the history of the University. Materials are appraised for historical value and potential research value, as well as other value to the University, and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The Special Collections and Archives also collects select materials that, while not directly related to the University, document the role of the University in a broader context or supports the ongoing work of the University. Some examples of these materials include personal papers of alumni, materials documenting local history, and “town and gown” relations. Materials are appraised for historical value and potential research value, as well as other value to the University, and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

 Select primary source materials that support the curriculum are addressed in the Academic Collections section of this document.

The Special Collections and Archives has arranged the materials in its collection into nine record groups:

• Physical and Legal Structure
• Campus Community
• Administration
• Academics
• Students
• Media and Artifacts
• Collected Materials
• Personal Papers
• Town and Gown 

Materials are acquired from five primary groups of records creators/donors: University administrative offices, faculty, student, alumni, and the local community. 

Appraisal criteria have been developed for the most common types of materials offered to the Special Collections and Archives. For materials not specifically included on this list, many of the same appraisal questions will be applied.

The Special Collections and Archives collects comprehensively and broadly in this area to document the work of the university through records that detail the creation, development, priorities, and activities of administrative and academic units. When considering University records for transfer to the Archives, the following criteria will be evaluated:

• Retention requirements
  • Have the records met the required retention period as stated on the Records Retention Schedule (RRS)?
  • Does the RRS indicate archival review or transfer to the archives?
  • Do the records have a permanent (PM) retention and require preservation?
• Status and position of the creating office
  • Do the records reflect official communications and decisions?
  • Do the records relate to the unit’s principle activity?
  • Do the records document plans, programs, events, policies, initiatives?
• Condition
  • Are the records readable?
  • Are the records free from pests, mold, or other physical damage?
  • Are the records grouped by topic or organized in any other way?
• Authenticity
  • Are the records created by the transferring department?
  • Are the records unique and original?
• Physical requirements
  • Is the amount of records to be transferred of a reasonable quantity/physical size
  • Are the records in a stable format, free of unusual storage, processing, preservation, or reference requirements?
• Potential research value
  • Do the records have potential historical value to the University?
  • Do the records have potential historical value to academic researchers?
  • Do the records document aspects of any current research trends?
• Access
  • Are the records free from access restrictions?
  • If there are access concerns, is there a reasonable solution?

Records on the University’s Records Retention Schedule (RRS) that require review by the Archives or transfer to the Special Collections and Archives should be brought to the attention of the Special Collections and Archives prior to transfer. The RRS was designed to help employees identify records that have historical value to the institution. The list below is merely a sample of common records sent to the archives; employees should contact the Special Collections and Archives if they suspect that they have records with historical value.

University records commonly transferred to the University Archives include, but are not limited to, the following materials:

• University administration
  • Publications – including university brochures, annual reports, and other university-level publications such as Hillviews, course catalogs, directories
  • Reports – including annual reports, self-studies, certification documentation
  • Events – invitations and programs from events such as commencement ceremonies, building dedications, campus-wide events, anniversaries
  • Minutes – from steering committees, task forces, or other groups that have historical or research value to the university
• Administrative units
  • Publications – including newsletters, brochures, posters
  • Reports – including annual reports, self-studies, certification documentation
  • Events – invitations and programs for ceremonies, dedications, anniversaries
  • Minutes – from steering committees, task forces, or other groups that have historical or research value to the university
• Academic units
  • Publications – including newsletters, brochures, student journals, posters, monographs, departmental histories
  • Reports – including annual reports, self-studies, certification documentation
  • Events – invitations and programs from events such as awards ceremonies, dedications, anniversaries
  • Minutes – from steering committees, task forces, or other groups that have an impact on the development of an academic program

While the Special Collections and Archives collects a wide variety of materials and formats, some materials are not appropriate for long-term preservation.

Materials generally not accepted

• Routine administrative and financial records (see the Records Retention Schedule for retention and disposition instructions)
• Records protected by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Items purchased from companies or vendors, such as books and training resources
• Drafts or working copies of publications or reports for which a final version exists
• Unidentified photographs
• Personal research, including clippings, newspapers, Web page printouts, and other collected secondary source materials, especially when the research does not result in a final product or publication
• Unidentified media, such as audio or video recordings, born-digital files, or storage devices labeled as “backups”
• Content on unusual or proprietary digital formats, unless working hardware/software is provided to aid in the reformatting of the content
• Items with unreasonable access restrictions

The Special Collections and Archives seeks to acquire, organize and provide access to the personal and professional papers of select Texas State University faculty as a means of documenting the internal life and culture of the University community. Because the University is growing and resources are limited, decisions for accepting faculty papers are weighted towards individuals who have made significant contributions to the institution. 

When considering materials for permanent retention in the Archives, the following criteria will be evaluated:

• Service
  • Was the faculty member one of the First 17?
  • Is the faculty member nationally or internationally recognized in the academic field?
  • Has the faculty member received a national or international award for teaching or scholarship?
  • Has the faculty member been awarded an honorary position by the State, such as Texas Poet Laureate or Texas State Historian?
  • Has the faculty member received one of the following awards?
    • Regents’ Professor
    • Piper Professor
    • Presidential Award
    • Excellence in Teaching Award
  • Has something at the University been named for them?
  • Has the faculty member been awarded Emeritus status?
  • Has the faculty member served Texas State for more than 25 years?
• Condition
  • Are the records readable (condition, format, handwriting)?
  • Are the records free from pests, mold, or other physical damage?
  • Are the records organized in a way that makes them useful?
• Physical requirements
  • Will the amount of records to be transferred be of a reasonable quantity/physical size?
  • Are the records in a stable format?
  • Are the records free of unusual storage, processing, preservation, or reference requirements?
• Content
  • Do the records offer new information, verify existing information, or supplement the existing body of routine information?
  • Do the records document the development or evolution of academic programs at Texas State?
  • Are the records free from FERPA-restricted student information?
  • Do the papers have potential research value for internal or external patrons?

Faculty papers commonly transferred to the Archives include, but are not limited to the following materials:

• Correspondence
  • Professional: outgoing and incoming letters relating to all facets of one’s academic career, including correspondence with colleagues, publishers, professional organizations and students
  • Personal: letters to and from friends and colleagues
• Biographical
  • Resumes, vitas, bibliographies, biographical sketches, portraits, chronologies, newspaper clippings related to personal and professional activities, personal memoirs
• Classroom material
  • Lecture notes, overheads, slides, syllabi, course outlines, reading lists, examinations, and recordings of lectures, speeches and discussions • Research files
  • Outlines, research designs, notes, analyses and reports of findings
  • Drafts and manuscripts of significant articles and books
• Administration
  • Agendas, minutes and records related to committee service
  • Diaries, notebooks, appointment calendars, memorabilia
  • University publications, internal correspondence
• Audio/Visual content
  • Photographic images documenting personal and professional activities 
  • NOTE: Images should be dated and labeled with the names of people and places
  • Audio and/or video recordings documenting personal and professional activities
  • NOTE: Recordings should be dated and labeled with a descriptive title; oral histories should include interviewee release forms and transcripts

Types of Materials Not Generally Accepted:

• Correspondence with family and children (exceptions may be made for personal papers that are closely related to his/her career or when family members have close ties to the university)
• Personal financial documents such as vouchers, receipts, and cancelled checks
• Records protected by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Drafts or working copies of publications or reports for which a final version exists
• Personal research, including clippings, newspapers, Web page printouts, and other collected secondary source materials, especially when the research does not result in a final product or publication
• Unlabeled photos, audio recordings, or video recordings
• Books Donations of personal libraries or book collections will be referred to the Collection Development Librarian.
• Raw data Research data, especially raw data and large datasets, will be referred to the Research Data Specialist.

The Special Collections and Archives does not hold records of individual students or student work. However, select records documenting extracurricular student activities are welcome. While not considered official university records, student publications and records of student government and student organizations are an important part of campus life. 

When considering materials for permanent retention in the Archives, the following criteria will be evaluated:

• Student publications
  • Does the content reflect a student perspective of campus, social issues, or society?
  • Does the content offer new information, verify existing information, or supplement the existing body of information for that time period?
• Student organizations
  • Do the records reflect a student perspective of campus, social issues, or society?
  • Do the records offer new information, verify existing information, or supplement the existing body of information for that time period?
  • Do the records relate to the organization’s principle activity?
• Condition
  • Are the records readable (condition, format, handwriting)?
  • Are the records free from pests, mold, or other physical damage?
  • Are the records organized?
• Physical requirements
  • Will the amount of records to be transferred be of a reasonable quantity/physical size?
  • Are the records in a stable format?
  • Are the records free of unusual storage, processing, preservation, or reference requirements?

Student life materials commonly transferred to the Archives include, but are not limited to the following materials:

• Publications
  • Yearbooks, newspapers, newsletters, and journals
• Organizational records
  • Constitutions and by-laws
  • Governance and policy documents
  • Minutes and proceedings
  • Policies and procedures
  • Annual membership rosters and committee assignments
  • Correspondence, memoranda, and subject files concerning projects, activities and functions
  • Newsletters, announcements, brochures, invitations, programs
  • Photographic images documenting organization members and activities 
  • NOTE: Images should be dated and labeled with the names of people and places

Types of Materials Not Generally Accepted:

• Routine financial documents such as vouchers, receipts, and cancelled checks
• Scrapbooks (unless content is rich with primary source materials and contains detailed information about photographs)
• Trophies, plaques, or other artifacts awarded to individuals
• Unidentified photographs
• Clippings files

Alumni and their families are strong supporters of the Special Collections and Archives. Their donations enrich the history of Texas State by providing a glimpse into the University’s past, by documenting alumni contributions, and/or by placing the university in a broader context.

Potential donors are encouraged to consult with an archivist about any materials they would like to donate to the Archives. Donors are reminded that the Special Collections and Archives will not make promises regarding the processing, exhibition, digitization, publication, or other use of donated materials (see Conditions governing material to be acquired by the University Archives, item G).

When considering materials for long-term preservation and access in the Archives, the following criteria will be evaluated:

• Alumni memorabilia
  • Do the materials document the life and culture of SWT/Texas State University?
  • Do artifacts reflect student life, such as pins, pennants, letter sweaters, and beanies?
  • Do photographs represent the campus, and are subjects identified?
  • Are the materials University publications, invitations, brochures, programs or awards?
• Alumni papers
  • Are the materials subject to FERPA restrictions?
  • Do the papers reflect upon and contribute to the understanding of a specific teaching or research strength of the University, or a collecting focus of the Archives?
  • Did the alumnus receive an award from the university, such as an honorary degree or Distinguished Alumnus?
  • Do the papers reflect the work of an alumnus who had a distinguished career in his/her chosen profession?
  • Do the papers have potential research value for internal or external patrons
• Condition
  • Are the records readable (condition, format, handwriting)?
  • Are the records free from pests, mold, or other physical damage?
  • Are the records grouped by topic or organized in any other way?
• Physical requirements
  • Will the amount of records to be transferred be of a reasonable quantity/physical size?
  • Are the records in a stable format?
  • Are the records free of unusual storage, processing, preservation, or reference requirements?

Items commonly transferred to the Archives include, but are not limited to the following materials:

• Publications and printed materials
  • Issues of the Pedagog, the student yearbook · Issues of the Star, the student newspaper
  • Other student publications and newsletters
  • University publications, such as brochures, guides, pamphlets, schedule of classes, and handbooks
  • Invitations to and programs for University events, including lectures, performances, convocations, commencement and baccalaureate ceremonies, picnics, unveilings, dedications and sporting events
  • Official University Christmas cards, holiday cards, and note cards
• Artifacts
  • Historical artifacts such as school pennants and class rings
  • Items related to academic programs or student organizations, such as music recordings, t-shirts and letter sweaters, and event programs
  • Sport related memorabilia, including uniforms, programs, or handbills · Photographs, if people and places are identified
  • Scrapbooks, if people and places are identified

Types of Materials Not Generally Accepted:

• Unidentified photographs
• Detailed histories or clippings related to a single student, unless they are part of a larger collection
• Personal research, including clippings, newspapers, Web page printouts, and other collected secondary source materials, especially when the research does not result in a final product or publication
• Artifacts acquired during personal research, including during the process of writing a thesis or dissertation, that do not contribute to a specific research strength of the University or a collecting focus of the Archives
• Unidentified media, such as audio or video recordings, born-digital files, or storage devices labeled as “backups”
• Content on unusual or proprietary digital formats, unless working hardware/software is provided to aid in the reformatting of the content
• Items with unreasonable access restrictions

The Special Collections and Archives seeks to document the relationship of the University to the city of San Marcos, whether that connection is explicitly stated or implicit in nature. Local history materials are a welcome addition to the Archives, especially when the materials complement existing collections. 

The San Marcos Public Library (SMPL) maintains a long-standing and well-curated local history collection. However, it lacks the resources necessary to process and physically house archival materials. Because the both the Archives and the Public Library share the same goals in regard to local history, the institutions maintain a collaborative and collegial relationship in the effort to preserve and make available local history materials. As appropriate, Archives staff contacts the Public Library when offered items that may be more suitable for the Public Library’s collections, shares information about recent local history acquisitions, and provides links to digital materials.

Potential donors are invited to talk with an archivist about materials that might be appropriate for the Archives. When considering materials for long-term preservation and access in the Archives, the following criteria will be evaluated:

• Scope
  • Are the materials relevant to the history of the University?
  • Do the materials highlight connections between the University and the local community?
  • Are the materials relevant to the history of San Marcos and/or Hays County?
  • Do the materials document a local community?
  • Do the materials fall within the collecting scope of the San Marcos Public Library local history collection?
  • Do the materials complement or expand an existing collection?
  • Are the materials exact reproductions of information (physical duplicates) held in another repository?
• Condition
  • Are the written materials readable (condition, format, handwriting)?
  • Are the materials free from pests, mold, or other physical damage?
  • Are the records grouped by topic or organized in any other way?
  • Are the materials in danger of self-destructing or damaging other materials in close proximity?
• Physical requirements
  • Will the amount materials to be transferred be of a reasonable quantity/physical size? · Are the records in a stable format?
  • Are the records free of unusual storage, processing, preservation, or reference requirements?

Items commonly transferred may include, but are not limited to, the following materials:

• Documentary materials related to small businesses or local communities
• Photographic materials of local buildings, businesses, events, and residents
• Materials documenting special events such as flyers, brochures, invitations, and programs
• Records, artifacts, correspondence, and ephemera related to Aquarena Springs, Spring Lake, Riverside, or Sewell Park
• Historical postcards of local scenes

Types of Materials Not Generally Accepted:

• Unidentified photographs
• Personal research, including clippings, newspapers, Web page printouts, and other collected secondary source materials, especially when the research does not result in a final product or publication
• Unidentified media, such as audio or video recordings, born-digital files, or storage devices labeled as “backups”
• Content on unusual or proprietary digital formats, unless working hardware/software is provided to aid in the reformatting of the content
• Items with unreasonable access restrictions

Items owned by other state agencies, or that belong in established collections of other institutions, will be returned to the owing agency or transferred to the appropriate institution.

In addition to the core collection that documents institutional and local history, the Special Collections and Archives also manages three academic research collections that foster multi-disciplinary graduate-level research. The term “academic” is used simply to differentiate these materials within the broad “special collections” designation; as with the other materials in the Special Collections and Archives, the Academic Collections are accessible to the university community, researchers, the local community, and the general public. 

Potential materials will be appraised by an archivist for historical value and potential research value before any materials are accepted for these collections. Donors are encouraged to allow open, unrestricted access and use of materials to ensure availability to researchers.

Encompassing research collections that span disciplines including social sciences, humanities, journalism, and anthropology, this collection’s strength is regional history with a focus on communities and organizations. Of particular interest are materials that document Hispanic/Latinx culture and communities in San Marcos and surrounding areas.

Public historians, especially students in graduate programs, require literature and research to fuel their own exploration in the field. This foundation of this collection is in the “grey literature” (unpublished or non-commercial publications) created by researchers seeking to learn about, understand, and interpret history. The addition of public historians’ papers and select organizational records create a robust, unique collection useful for interdisciplinary scholarship.

Primary sources relating to the study of water and environmental issues include research and data as well as the papers of individual researchers, citizen activists, and policy makers. Materials related to local Texas water resources, especially regarding the Edwards Aquifer and Spring Lake, support research in the disciplines of geography, aquatic resources, and sustainability studies.

Items commonly transferred may include, but are not limited to, the following materials:

• Materials documenting the history and culture of the southwest, with particular emphasis on Central Texas; Hays, Comal, Guadalupe, Caldwell, and Bastrop Counties, are given priority
• Information about primary and secondary education, including segregated or community schools
• Documentary materials related to small businesses or community groups • Personal papers of individuals within the community
• Photographic materials of local buildings, businesses, events, and residents 

When considering materials for long-term preservation and access in the Archives, the following criteria will be evaluated:

• Scope
  • Are the materials relevant to the scope of the intended academic collection?
  • Are the materials primary resources that will support graduate research?
  • Are the materials relevant to the history of San Marcos?
  • Are the materials relevant to the history of Hays County, or nearby Comal, Guadalupe, or Caldwell Counties?
  • Are the materials relevant to the state of Texas?
  • Do the materials document a local individual or community?
  • Do the materials complement or expand an existing collection?
  • Are the materials exact reproductions of information (physical duplicates) held in another repository?
• Condition
  • Are the written materials readable (condition, format, handwriting)?
  • Are the materials free from pests, mold, or other physical damage?
  • Are the records grouped by topic or organized in any other way?
  • Are the materials in danger of self-destructing or damaging other materials in close proximity?
• Physical requirements
  • Will the amount materials to be transferred be of a reasonable quantity/physical size?
  • Are the records in a stable format?
  • Are the records free of unusual storage, processing, preservation, or reference requirements?

Types of Materials Not Generally Accepted:

• Unidentified photographs
• Personal research, including clippings, newspapers, Web page printouts, and other collected secondary source materials, especially when the research does not result in a final product or publication
• Unidentified media, such as audio or video recordings, born-digital files, or storage devices labeled as “backups”
• Content on unusual or proprietary digital formats, unless working hardware/software is provided to aid in the reformatting of the content
• Items with unreasonable access restrictions

Items commonly transferred may include, but are not limited to, the following materials:

• Historical research, including perspectives of archaeology, architecture, land use, preservation, cultural heritage, and tourism
• Files related to markers, plaques, memorials, and other historical designations
• Photographic materials of local buildings, businesses, events, and residents
• Materials documenting special events such as flyers, brochures, invitations, and programs

When considering materials for long-term preservation and access in the Archives, the following criteria will be evaluated:

• Scope
  • Are the materials relevant to the scope of the intended academic collection?
  • Are the materials primary resources that will support graduate research?
  • Are the materials relevant to the history of San Marcos?
  • Are the materials relevant to the history of Hays County, or nearby Comal, Guadalupe, or Caldwell Counties?
  • Are the materials relevant to the state of Texas?
  • Do the materials document a local community?
  • Do the materials complement or expand an existing collection?
  • Are the materials exact reproductions of information (physical duplicates) held in another repository?
• Condition
  • Are the written materials readable (condition, format, handwriting)?
  • Are the materials free from pests, mold, or other physical damage?
  • Are the records grouped by topic or organized in any other way?
  • Are the materials in danger of self-destructing or damaging other materials in close proximity?
• Physical requirements
  • Will the amount materials to be transferred be of a reasonable quantity/physical size?
  • Are the records in a stable format?
  • Are the records free of unusual storage, processing, preservation, or reference requirements?

Types of Materials Not Generally Accepted:

• Unidentified photographs
• Personal research, including clippings, newspapers, Web page printouts, and other collected secondary source materials, especially when the research does not result in a final product or publication
• Unidentified media, such as audio or video recordings, born-digital files, or storage devices labeled as “backups”
• Content on unusual or proprietary digital formats, unless working hardware/software is provided to aid in the reformatting of the content
• Items with unreasonable access restrictions

Items commonly transferred may include, but are not limited to, the following materials:

• Research related to water and the environment, especially the Edwards Aquifer
• Planning materials for changing policies and legislation related to water resources
• Materials documenting special events related to water issues (education, activism, etc.) such as flyers, brochures, invitations, and programs 

When considering materials for long-term preservation and access in the Archives, the following criteria will be evaluated:

• Scope 
  • Are the materials relevant to the scope of the intended academic collection?
  • Are the materials primary resources that will support graduate research?
  • Are the materials relevant to the history of San Marcos?
  • Are the materials relevant to the history of Hays County, or nearby Comal, Guadalupe, or Caldwell Counties?
  • Are the materials relevant to the state of Texas?
  • Do the materials document a local community?
  • Do the materials complement or expand an existing collection?
  • Are the materials exact reproductions of information (physical duplicates) held in another repository?
• Condition
  • Are the written materials readable (condition, format, handwriting)?
  • Are the materials free from pests, mold, or other physical damage?
  • Are the records grouped by topic or organized in any other way?
  • Are the materials in danger of self-destructing or damaging other materials in close proximity?
• Physical requirements
  • Will the amount materials to be transferred be of a reasonable quantity/physical size?
  • Are the records in a stable format?
  • Are the records free of unusual storage, processing, preservation, or reference requirements?

Types of Materials Not Generally Accepted:

• Unidentified photographs
• Personal research, including clippings, newspapers, Web page printouts, and other collected secondary source materials, especially when the research does not result in a final product or publication
• Unidentified media, such as audio or video recordings, born-digital files, or storage devices labeled as “backups”
• Content on unusual or proprietary digital formats, unless working hardware/software is provided to aid in the reformatting of the content
• Items with unreasonable access restrictions

Deaccessioning is the process by which archives release materials from their collections. Thorough reappraisal and deaccessioning guidelines are essential to proper collections management, as they form a basic framework for decision-making and support existing or evolving appraisal criteria. 

Materials are routinely deaccessioned from recent acquisitions as part of the normal selection, appraisal, and accessioning process. Materials may also be deaccessioned from existing collections where selection and appraisal activities were not previously performed – especially since a variety of materials were donated to the library or the university prior to the creation of the Special Collections and Archives. 

These guidelines do not intend to cover every possible situation or contingency of reappraisal and deaccessioning; rather, these guidelines attempt to address universal issues involved with the practices of reappraisal and deaccessioning. Archivists should rely on their best professional judgment when dealing with specific circumstances that are not covered by these guidelines. 

Reappraisal and deaccessioning can be implemented across the full range of an institution’s holdings or applied only to individual collections as the institution’s circumstances warrant. Reappraisal and deaccessioning should be viewed as a part of the continuum of archival practice and should become a regular part of institutional collection management.

When considering materials for deaccessioning, the following criteria will be evaluated:

A. Does the material fall within the scope of current collecting and appraisal policies? 

B. Is the material a duplicate or does it duplicate information already held here or elsewhere in another format? 

C. Has the material deteriorated beyond real usefulness? 

D. Are there any externally imposed restrictions such as donor agreement or other legal issues that apply to this material? 

E. How would deaccessioning of this material affect public access to information? 

F. Would the material be more useful to the scholarly community if located at another institution?

The key terms used are taken from A Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology By Richard Pearce Moses (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2005). Some of the definitions are abbreviated. 

For the full definitions and notes, visit: https://dictionary.archivists.org/ 

Accession: n. ~ 1. Materials physically and legally transferred to a repository as a unit at a single time; an acquisition. v. ~ 2. To take legal and physical custody of a group of records or other materials and to formally document their receipt. - 3. To document the transfer of records or materials in a register, database, or other log of the repository's holdings. 

Administrative Value: n. ~ The usefulness or significance of records to support ancillary operations and the routine management of an organization. 

Appraisal: n. ~ 1. The process of identifying materials offered to an archives that have sufficient value to be accessioned. 2. The process of determining the length of time records should be retained, based on legal requirements and on their current and potential usefulness. 

Archives: n. ~ 1. Materials created or received by a person, family, or organization, public or private, in the conduct of their affairs and preserved because of the enduring value contained in the information they contain or as evidence of the functions and responsibilities of their creator, especially those materials maintained using the principles of provenance, original order, and collective control; permanent records. - 2. The division within an organization responsible for maintaining the organization's records of enduring value. - 3. An organization that collects the records of individuals, families, or other organizations; a collecting archives. - 4. The professional discipline of administering such collections and organizations. - 5. The building (or portion thereof) housing archival collections. 

Artifactual or Intrinsic Value: n. ~ The usefulness or significance of an object based on its physical or aesthetic characteristics, rather than its intellectual content. 

Deaccessioning: n. ~ The process by which an archives, museum, or library permanently removes accessioned materials (i.e., collections, series, record groups) from its holdings. 

Donation: (also gift), n. ~ Material for which legal title is transferred from one party to another without compensation. Evidential Value: n. ~ 1. The quality of records that provides information about the origins, functions, and activities of their creator. 

Historical or Archival Value: n. ~ 1. The usefulness or significance of records for understanding the past. - 2. The importance or usefulness of records that justifies their continued preservation because of the enduring administrative, legal, fiscal, or evidential information they contain; archival value.

Material: n. ~ 1. The substance of which something is made. - 2. A thing; a resource1, 3. - 3. An object having physical or intellectual substance. Note: This document uses 'material' as an encompassing, generic term to describe the broad variety of items that an archives might collect, regardless of medium, format, or type. It is used to avoid connotations carried by terms such as record, document, or object. In this sense, materials may be tangible (of matter) or virtual (electronic) and may be used to describe a group of individual items. In the context of digital information, 'material' is roughly synonymous with 'resource'. 

Provenance: n. ~ 1. The origin or source of something. - 2. Information regarding the origins, custody, and ownership of an item or collection. Note: Provenance is a fundamental principle of archives, referring to the individual, family, or organization that created or received the items in a collection. The principle of provenance or the respect des fonds dictates that records of different origins (provenance) be kept separate to preserve their context. 

Reappraisal: (also retention review), n. ~ 1. Archives · The process of identifying materials that no longer merit preservation and that are candidates for deaccessioning. 2. Records management · The process of reviewing materials to reassess their retention value. 

Research or Informational Value: n. ~ The usefulness or significance of materials based on their content, independent of any intrinsic or evidential value. Record: n. ~ - 3. Data or information in a fixed form that is created or received in the course of individual or institutional activity and set aside (preserved) as evidence of that activity for future reference. 

Weeding: n. ~ The process of identifying and removing unwanted materials from a larger body of materials.

Society of American Archivists Deaccessioning and Reappraisal Development and Review Team, draft dated July 12, 2011. “Guidelines for Reappraisal and Deaccessioning.” Retrieved from http://www2.archivists.org/sites/all/files/GuidelinesForReappraisalAndDeaccessioningDRAFT.pdf 

Dartmouth University Rauner Special Collections Library, last updated April 26, 2016. “Manuscript Deaccession Policy.” Retrieved from https://www.dartmouth.edu/library/rauner/donating/ms-deaccession.html

“The Academic Archivist,” a blog by the College and University Archives section of the Society of American Archivists. Posts related to the topic of faculty papers, posted in preparation for the discussion held at the 2017 Annual Meeting. Retrieved from https://academicarchivist.wordpress.com/category/faculty-papers/ 

Society of American Archivists, http://www2.archivists.org/ 

Archives Association of British Columbia, http://aabc.ca/ Archives and Records Association, UK and Ireland, http://www.archives.org.uk/