Policy Statement 2601

University Archives

PS# 2601

Issue # 1

Page: 1 of 7

Title: University Archives

Author: Director, MUW Archives and Museum

Purpose: To establish policy for the establishment and governance of the MUW Archives and Museum

Reviewer: Vice President for Academic Affairs

Operating Details:

1. The MUW Archives and Museum serves as a depository for the collection, preservation, and exhibition of materials relating to the history of MUW, and its place in the city, county, state, and country of its origin. These records, documents, and artifacts are to be made available for scholarly research and for use by interested members of the public.

2. While the primary purpose of the Archives and Museum is to serve MUW, it is not limited from accepting special collections, such as the Tennessee-Tombigbee papers; however, it does give the university discretionary powers in determining the nature of non-MUW collections that it will accept.

3. The Archives will accept records having research or historical value, professional and personal manuscripts of members of the academic and administrative staffs, and records of faculty and student organizations that may be given to the university for preservation and use. Records are herewith defined as including all documents, correspondence, accounts, files, manuscripts, publications, photographs, tapes, drawings, or other material bearing upon the activities and functions of the university as its officers and employees.

4. Records produced or received by any agency or employee of the university in the transaction of university business become university property. No university records should be discarded or destroyed except upon the prior approval of the university Archivist pursuant to a finding and recommendation by the administrative unit involved that such records have no further administrative value. The university Archivist shall withhold the approval of any such action until she is satisfied that the records involved have no further fiscal or legal value. Where appropriate, the Archivist may arrange for the transfer of records to the university archives as an alternative to destruction.

5. In the transfer of records, the Archivist is authorized, on behalf of the university, to negotiate for the transfer of and to receive university Archives from the custody of any office of administration on instruction or other record-creating divisions.

6. The Archivist shall collect, arrange, and make available to authorized persons, at reasonable times, in the office of the Archives, all obtainable archival materials relating to the operation and history of Mississippi University for Women. He shall carefully protect and preserve them from deterioration, mutilation, loss or destruction. He shall keep the official archives in his custody in such arrangement and condition as to make them accessible for convenient use, and shall permit them to be inspected, examined, abstracted, or copied at reasonable times under his supervision, by any authorized person. He shall make arrangements for the furnishing of certified copies thereof on payment in advance of fees as prescribed by the Council.

7. Any record-creating division at Mississippi University for Women is hereby directed and empowered to release to the university Archivist for preservation and administration such university records legally in its custody as are not needed for the transaction of the current business of the office, whenever the Archives is willing and able to receive and call for them. It is recommended that the records, 10 years or older, be transferred automatically to the archives. Should a division wish to make transfers at more frequent intervals, this can be arranged for with the Archivist. Whenever such transfer is made, the Archivist shall transmit to the office from which the records are transferred a list in which such records are described in terms sufficient to identify them. This list shall be filed and preserved in said office.

All university Archives of any division shall, upon the termination of the existence and functions of that office, be transferred to the custody of the Archives, unless otherwise directed by the Archivist.

8. Operating procedures for acceptance of gifts or loans, for monetary appraisals for gifts, and for public use of the Archives and Museum are detailed in the attached forms.

Acceptance of Gifts of Loans to the Archives-Museum of Mississippi University for Women

1. Conditions for receiving gifts or loans -

A. Gifts:

The donor of any gift to the Archives-Museum determines himself at the time the gift is received by the archivist of the University the following:

If the gift is permanent, the donor makes the University custodian of the artifact in a brief written statement, at the time authorizing the Archivist the right of final disposition.

This will fall in three primary categories:

1. gift to be returned to family of donor at a time so designated by the Archivist. 2. gift to be offered to another local museum or archives, or 3. gift to be disposed of at the discretion of the Archivist.

B. Loans:

The donor of an artifact to be loaned to the University Archives/ Museums determines, with the assistance of the Archivist, the length of time the artifact will be available for use of display by the University (normally not more than one or two years at the outside). At the close of the designated time agreed upon for such loan, responsibility shall become the donors to reclaim and remove the artifact within a reasonable period of time.

II. It should be understood as part of any acquisition policy, that the Archivist has the right to exercise his discretion as the acceptance or rejection of any proffered gift. It is only in this way that a living, working archives/museum can become and remain an outstanding part of an institution instead of an attic for old castoffs. Needless to say, as past experience has shown, tact is required: however, by using a review panel of three consisting of at least one historian as well as the archivist, these matters are usually handled with no emotional repercussions.

III. See attachment for policy regulating gifts of loans requiring a monetary appraisal.

Policy Reference for Collections Requiring Monetary Appraisals

1. In accepting any new collection, the MUW Archives and Museum Director performs a complete inventory; one copy of the inventory is retained for the records of the Archives and Museum, one copy for the administration and one copy is presented to the donor. All copies are signed and dated by the donor and members of the archives/museum staff and the university administration.

2. If an appraisal is desired, it must be performed by a recognized expert with his findings made available in a written report. Copies of the appraisal report are retained in the records of the archives/museum, administration and the donor.

3. The donor, in accepting the University Archives/Museum as a place to house and display his collection or donation, must be advised that no insurance of any kind, including fire insurance, is available to state-supported institutions; therefore, it must be understood there will be no liability attached to the University or to the Archives/Museum for theft or fire damage to any collection.

All necessary precautions such as locking every door housing collections, locking the building each evening and on weekends with checks by campus security, and the positioning of fire extinguishers on both floors, are conscientiously taken.

REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO USE OF MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES of Mississippi University for Women

The MUW Archives and Museum consists of the records of the University from its founding in 1884 to the present, and the records of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority.

The Archives and Museum is located on the MUW campus in the Orr Building. It is open to students, faculty and all other qualified persons Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 4:30. The facilities are closed on Saturday and Sunday, and on University holidays.

1. Researchers are required to sign the Visitors Register and show proper identification before entering the research areas.

2. Researchers are required to leave coats, hats, brief cases and all other personal property not essential to their work in the Archivists Office outside of the research areas.

3. Food and beverages are allowed only to the foyer of the building, and not in the research areas.

4. Smoking is permitted in the foyer of the building but not in the research areas.

5. Researcher will request records, manuscripts and books by number, and the materials will be retrieved by the person on duty. These materials are for use in the research areas only. Materials may not be removed form the research areas.

6. Patrons must use particular care in handling all materials in the Archives. Many of them are old, rare, and valuable, thereby being easily damaged. Turn pages slowly and carefully. Do not fold the documents or disassemble the folders. Use a bookweight, not books or other articles to hold a book open. Please report any unopened leaves, mutilations, or misarrangements of materials. 7. Patrons are not permitted to photo-copy material without specific permission. When permission has been granted, the costs of Xerox copies are borne by the user.

8. Manuscript and archival materials should be maintained in their original order. Do not disassemble the folders. If Xeroxing is required, place a marker with the item and give your request to the person on duty. Do not remove items yourself. No microfilming facilities are available.

9. Researchers must begin to return their materials to the person on duty at 4:00, so that the research areas may be secured and vacated by 4:30. Materials to be used again within the next several days may be reserved at the attendants desk.

10. Any infringement of these rules will be considered sufficient cause for withdrawal of privileges.

MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN

Dept. of Archives and Museums

CONTRACT OF GIFT

Name:___________________________________________________________________________ ____ Address:________________________________________________________________________ _____ convey(s) to the MUW Department of Archives and Museums the following:

as an unrestricted gift, and transfer(s) to the Mississippi University for Women Department of Archives and Museums legal title to said gift. I/we agree that any materials in the collection felt inappropriate to the Departments collections shall be disposed of by the Department as it sees fit or returned to me/us if this is so stated here.

Donors Signature___________________________________________Date_______________________ Donors Address________________________________________________________________________ Received by________________________________________________Date________________________ Mississippi Univ. for Women, Dept. of Archives & Museums