- The archive and special collections within the St. John Paul II Library serve as the institutional memory of the university. To fulfill the responsibilities of that role, the archive identifies, acquires, and maintains records of enduring value that chronicle the development of the university. The archive documents the process of institutional evolution by retaining both the evidence that shapes decisions and the decisions themselves.
- The basic goal of academic archives is to aid the institution in its survival and growth by supporting the institution’s educational mission. To fulfill the responsibilities of that role, the archive has the following goal:
- To acquire or identify records of long-term historical, evidential, legal, fiscal, and administrative value to the institution and to preserve and provide access to them so that the archive is visible as a resource that:
—promotes knowledge and efficient operation of the university, and
—supports and nourishes teaching and learning at the university as well as the community.
- To acquire or identify records of long-term historical, evidential, legal, fiscal, and administrative value to the institution and to preserve and provide access to them so that the archive is visible as a resource that:
Archive Policies and Procedures
Purpose:
Collection Policy:
- The archive seeks documentation that will accurately reflect the establishment, development, and activities of Franciscan University of Steubenville (FUS). In pursuit of these records, the archives will collect official records, including:
Materials documenting the establishment of FUS and contributing to the understanding of its history; particularly records related to the development of its governance, organizational structure, funding, and management;- Materials documenting policies, strategic planning, and activities of University departments and offices;
- Materials documenting the development and achievements of the University in teaching and research;
- Materials documenting the development of the University’s fabric and infrastructure;
- Materials of permanent legal, administrative, and financial value;
- Materials documenting relationships with stakeholders including staff, students, funding authorities, benefactors, and central government;
- Materials relating to the University’s role within the local and wider community, particularly records relating to marketing, alumni, and press communications.
- To supplement these records and ensure all significant aspects of the University’s activities are documented, the archives will also collect materials from non-official sources including:
- Materials from faculty, staff and administration, particularly correspondence, photographs, research material, manuscripts of published texts and articles, diaries, notebooks, and audio/visual material;
- Material from alumni, particularly those relating to their experiences as students at the University; and
- Materials from student associations, clubs and societies.
Restrictions:
- If any materials require access restrictions, those restrictions should be made for a fixed term and determined at time of donation or transfer. Access to materials may not be retroactively restricted except in extraordinary circumstances agreed upon by the Director of Library and archival librarian(s).
- Due to limited staffing, budget, and space, all donations, gifts, and transfers are subject to review by the Director of Library and archival librarian(s). The Director of Library also reserves the right to periodically review the archival status of accessioned materials.
- The Archive will not acquire, except in unusual circumstances:
- Duplicate publications;
- Publications better suited for the general library collection;
- Clothing;
- Large items, better suited for museum display;
- Moldy or damaged items; and
- Material unrelated to FUS or its mission.
- The Archive adheres to all provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law (17 U.S.C.) It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any or all copyright permissions.
- Patrons seeking to visit the Archive must have an appointment.
- Appointments are made based on the availability of staff.
- The archive is located in a non-public area. Access is restricted and controlled by library staff. A scheduled appointment is mandatory for all archive patrons.
- Archival material is non-circulating and retrieved by library staff for patron use only in the areas authorized by the archive librarian, and under the supervision of staff.
- Patrons will be allowed to have a pencil and writing paper. Purses and backpacks will be held in a separate area.
- Some records are available only with advance notice and approval.
- The following materials are restricted from use:
- Unprocessed materials
- Donations for which the donor has indicated restrictions
- Some records may be restricted because of fragility, special format problems, or proprietary rights.
- Patrons may be asked to wear white gloves (provided) when handling photographs or other fragile documents.
- Material delivered must be recorded on the “Archive Use Record,” and patrons will be asked to sign it to accept responsibility for returning all the contents in the same condition in which they were delivered.
- Service and reproduction fees may apply for any reviewed and approved reference copy requests.
- Scanning of archive materials requires permission from the staff, and may be denied if copying will either damage or degrade the material, or if donor, acquisition or legal restrictions prohibit reproduction. In many cases, digital photography (without use of flash) is preferred. Please as the attending staff member.
- The collection’s images may not be reproduced for commercial re-sale.
- The Archive adheres to all provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law (17 U.S.C.) It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any or all copyright permissions.
