COLLECTION AND RETENTION

Collection

It is the responsibility of the Archives to acquire and maintain the following materials:

Materials generated by the College
All publications of the College; records of administrative offices and academic departments; records of faculty, student, and other College-related organizations; and histories of the College.

These records may come in any medium or form: paper (published or unpublished); photographs, discs, architectural or landscape drawings; audio and videotapes; newspapers clippings; or memorabilia.

The following is a list of records and publications which should be collected for the College Archives:

• All publications, newsletters, brochures, and programs distributed in the name of the College. The Archivist will determine the permanence of these items.
• Records of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Board.
• Records of the President's Office.
• Records of the Provost's Office.
• Records and reports of other College administrative offices.
• Records of all official, permanent or ad hoc academic and administrative committees.
• Records of academic and athletic departments.
• Faculty publications, including speeches and papers delivered at meetings.
• Reports of faculty research projects.
• Records of student and College organizations.
• Audiovisual materials, such as photographs, paintings, films, and audio and video tapes, which document the College history.
• Maps and blueprints which document the growth of the campus.
• Selected artifacts relating to the history of Kalamazoo College.
• Reports relating to the College which were generated by external agencies.

Materials generated by individuals connected with the College
The Archives accepts donations from alumni, but does not actively seek them. [see policy on alumni publications]

Material about the College
The Archivist, assisted by others on the staff, is responsible for clipping articles from The Kalamazoo Gazette. [see policy on newspaper clippings]

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Retention

Materials are retained in the Archives if they are unique or if they document the history of the College or demonstrate the work and purpose of an office or organization.

One copy of general office material is kept. Two or three copies of every publication are retained, one of which is removed from public use and stored in the Archives. The exception to this rule is the Campus Buzz, of which one copy is held. Three copies of programs are retained, which permits occasional use of one copy for display or loan.

Memorabilia is kept only if it is small and distinctive. Because of the restricted space in the archives clothing items and graduation caps and gowns usually are not retained.

The College Archives reserves the right to determine the usefulness of materials offered to or received for the collection. At the time a gift is given, a donor may indicate any restrictions imposed on access to the material and/or that anything not useful for the Archives be returned.