UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
A Statement of Purpose and Responsibility
ARCHIVES:
The purpose of the University Archives is to provide the University with functional
information and primary source documentation of the people, policies, and events of
its past. The primary mission is to identify, acquire, select, arrange, and describe
materials from California State University, Sacramento. The department serves as an
archival repository for permanent records. Archival materials are received by deposit
and gift.
Primary patrons are students pursuing classroom assignments. Other major users
include officials of the University making use of the official records in their day-to-day
work. Still others consult archives for historical, journalistic and scholarly purposes.
Since the archives is the repository not only for the official records of the University,
but also for records generated by unofficial bodies affiliated with the University's
students, faculty, and alumni, it also serves the persons involved in the work of these
unofficial bodies. The Department of Archives and Special Collections assists campus
departments with material and photo selection to produce brochures, displays, and
exhibits which are used for outreach and development.
Major collection categories include:
Administrative records such as minutes, reports, correspondence, and other
records of administrative offices, Faculty Senate, and administrative committees.
General publications such as academic catalogs, class schedules, handbooks,
announcements, directories, commencement and performance programs,
research publications, University conference and symposium proceedings,
newsletters, brochures, and ephemeral material.
Student publications such as campus newspapers, yearbooks, record of student
administration and organizations.
Support group records such as publications and records from Alumni Association
and University foundations.
Masters theses.
Pictorial and visual materials such as photographs, slides, motion pictures, video
cassettes, maps, microforms, art works, architectural plans and drawings.
Audio materials such as speeches, events, oral histories.
Memorabilia such as pennants, pins, etc.
Monographs and periodicals that reflect the activity of the campus community such
as faculty publications.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS:
A major goal of Special Collections is to acquire information about the University's
regional and public life activities. Special Collections organizes, catalogs, and
preserves special materials documenting the social, cultural, economic, and political
history of the Sacramento region. These materials include many formats such as
manuscripts, papers, photographs, books, audio tapes, etc. Artifacts are generally not
collected. Each special collection must display direct applications to the campus
curriculum and/or benefit academic departments with respect to their research and
teaching efforts.
The Head of Archives and Special Collections will consult with the Library faculty
member responsible for building the Library's collections in the subject area of each
potential gift. All gifts will be acknowledged through regular processes. Large gifts
which could have major implications for space, processing, and staffing, or which
present potential difficulties of a political nature require the approval of the Dean of the
Library, the Provost, and the President of the University. The Head of Archives and
Special Collections is responsible for alerting the Dean of the Library of such gifts; the
Dean of the Library is responsible for referring such matters to the Provost and the
President.
Although individual special collections may have specific collection boundaries and
parameters, these collections must fit within the guidelines of the CSUS Collection
Development Policy.
Special Collections should not duplicate other collections within the Sacramento
region. CSUS Department of Archives and Special Collections will recommend other
logical locations for collections which do not fit well within the Department's areas of
strength and emphasis.
The University Archives and Special Collections reserves the right to de-accession
materials at a later date if upon reappraisal they are no longer considered to be of
enduring value or in support of the University's mission and/or curriculum. The
department also reserves the right to dispose of materials once they have been
transferred to another archaically sound medium.
SERVICES:
The holdings of the University Archives and Special Collections do not circulate.
Typically they are used in the Archives and Special Collections Reading Room.
The collections also support selective outreach programs of the University Archives
and Special Collections. These may include public lectures, tours, exhibits,
workshops, conferences, and classroom presentations, as well as
newsletters and other publications.
The University Archives and Special Collections provides photocopying of documents
and photograph reproduction serves for a fee, except where copyright, fragility of
materials, or other limitations exist.
The University Archives and Special Collections provides opportunities for students to
engage in experimental learning through internships and volunteerism.
The University Archives and Special Collections selectively creates or helps to create
educational exhibits for campus departments and agencies on a charge back basis.
