Records commonly transferred to the Archives include:
- Constitutions, charters, and by-laws
- Minutes and reports of meetings and committees
- Membership lists
- Organizational histories
- Publications and publicity material: newsletters, brochures, event programs and booklets
- Officers’ files: correspondence and memorandum (incoming and outgoing) and subject files concerning projects, activities, and functions
- Scrapbooks
- Audio-visuals: photographs, films, and video tapes
Items generally not transferred to the Archives include:
- Duplicate and blank forms
- Detailed financial records, canceled checks, bank statements, and receipts
- Plaques and trophies
Please transfer material in the order in which it was maintained. A brief inventory identifying the types of records included should accompany the transfer.
Tips for preserving an organization’s history
- Document activities: keep minutes of meetings, save copies of publications and flyers.
- Label materials with full names, dates, and descriptions of events or circumstances.
- Keep records together in one central place.
- Develop a straightforward filing system that works for your organization.
- Store records away from dampness, dust, excessive heat, and sun.
- Avoid using paper clips and rubber bands. If documents need to be kept together, use stainless steel staples or plastic clips.
- Develop a routine of transferring inactive records to the Archives at the end of the semester, year, or leader’s term of office.
- Consider the fate of non-paper documents. Electronic records can pose software and hardware access problems. Save CDs, memorabilia, photographs, posters, and tapes, as well as traditional paper documents.
- Get to know Ellen Swain, the Archivist for Student Life and Culture.
When in doubt, don’t throw it out!