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Athens State University Archives

Collection Development Objectives

What do we collect? (Collection Scope)

The Athens State University Archives aims to preserve materials that relate to the university’s history, as well as the work of individuals, departments, organizations, and other entities associated with the university. Emphasis is put on primary source materials and items that most clearly support the missions of the Archives and the University.

Collection Strengths

  • University Funded Publications
  • Alumni Affairs
  • Sports Memorabilia
  • Photographs
  • Local History Publications

Collection Weaknesses (Highly Desired Materials)

  • Materials from our inception in 1822 to the early 1900s
  • Student organization materials such as minutes, activity advertisements, etc.
  • Records from historically excluded and underrepresented groups, i.e. documentation reflecting the experiences of people of color as well as non-binary gender(s), sexualities

How do we Decide what to Keep?

The Athens State University Archives staff strives to employ “responsible stewardship”, which  means that we “advocate for the conditions, resources, partnerships, and policies necessary for the long-term integrity and accessibility of evidence about the past[1] Decisions on the acquisition of donated or purchased materials are based upon their relevance to the Archives Mission, potential or expected research value to users, rarity or connection to existing archival collections, and the archives ability to provide the space, appropriate storage, and appropriate preservation and conservation procedures for materials. All donations must be approved by the University Archivist.

General Collecting Areas

  • Athens State University history and development
  • ATSU traditions and events
  • ATSU student, staff, and faculty organizations and activities
  • Faculty materials produced while working at Athens State University that reflect its mission and activities

What we Do Not Collect

  • Materials not related to Athens State University (some local history, etc are exceptions)
  • Large items such as statues, works of art, or furniture
  • Plaques and Trophies
  • Reprints, photocopies, and newspaper clippings
  • Bibles
  • A maximum of 2-3 copies of each publication, such as yearbooks, student newspapers, catalogs, or any other printed item will be acquired and retained
  • Collections with significant permanent restrictions on access or use of the bulk of the material
  • Materials exhibiting mold or exposure to rodents/pests
  • Severely damaged or extremely fragile items
  • The Athens State University Archives tries to limit our collection to items that are not widely held and that are not duplicated in the collections of other institutions

Digital Collections

Digital collections are subject to the same scope and limitations as the physical historic collections.

How Can I Donate

The Athens State University Archives is dedicated to creating a more inclusive historical record that can be preserved and shared for years to come. Your donations support this goal and help fulfill our mission and scope.

Please note:

  • Unsolicited donations cannot be accepted. Before sending donations or submitting donation paperwork, please contact the Archives at (256) 216-6663 or email us at archives@athens.edu.
  • Archives staff “cannot give tax advice, nor are they permitted to appraise the monetary value of a collection being considered for their own repository”.[2]

In line with Athens State University policy, all gifts and contributions accepted by the Archives will be reported to the Vice President for University Advancement.

Collections that have been appraised will be reviewed and approved by the Archivist, Library Director, and representatives from the Office of University Advancement before they are formally accepted via a Deed of Gift. The Office of University Advancement will issue a formal Letter of Acknowledgement to the donor once the appraised materials are received.

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Collection Development Policies Consulted

Alabama A&M University

The Pratt Institute

The University of Virginia (The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library)

George Washington University

The University of Wisconsin

The University of Montavello

Lander University

Emporia State University

Auburn University at Montgomery

University of Nebraska Omaha

University of Massachusetts

California Polytechnic State University

[1] Michelle Light,  From Responsible Custody to Responsible Stewardship. In Christine Weideman; Mary A. Caldera, Society of American Archivists.(2019) https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/lib_articles/590

[2] Archivists.org. “Donating Your Personal or Family Records to a Repository | Society of American Archivists,” 2023. https://www2.archivists.org/publications/brochures/donating-familyrecs.

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[3] Archivists.org. “SAA Core Values Statement and Code of Ethics | Society of American Archivists,” 2023. https://www2.archivists.org/statements/saa-core-values-statement-and-code-of-ethics#:~:text=Access%20and%20Use%3A%20Archivists%20actively,archival%20materials%20in%20all%20formats..

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