POLICY AND PROCEDURE SUMMARY
THE EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE ARCHIVES MISSION STATEMENT
| The Archives will solicit and collect those materials that document the innovative
and alternative nature expressed by the "Evergreen" community both in its pedagogical
and social aspects. It will obtain and make available for research those materials
that tend to illustrate or describe the nature and activities of the students,
faculty, staff, Patrons and supporters of The Evergreen State College.
Definition of Terms:
- Accession - (1). The act and procedures involved in a transfer
of legal title and the taking of records or papers into the physical custody
of an archival agency, records center, or manuscript repository. (2). The
materials involved in such a transfer of custody.
- Archives - (1). The non-current records of an organization or institution
preserved because of their continuing value; also referred to, in this sense,
as archival materials or archival holdings. (2). The agency responsible
for selecting, preserving, and making available archival materials; also
referred to as an archival agency. (3). The building or part of a building
where such materials are located; also referred to as an archival repository.
- Arrangement - The process and results of organizing archives, records,
and manuscripts in accordance with accepted archival principles, particularly
provenance, at as many as necessary of the following levels: repository,
record group or comparable control unit, subgroup(s), series, file unit,
and document. The process usually includes packing, labeling, and shelving
of archives, records, and manuscripts, and is intended to achieve physical
or administrative control and basic identification of the holdings.
- Collection - (1). An artificial accumulation of manuscripts or
documents devoted to a single theme, person, event, or type of record. (2).
A body of manuscripts or papers, including associated printed or near-print
materials, having a common source. If formed by or around an individual
or family, such materials are more properly termed personal papers or records.
If the cumulation is that of a corporate entity, it is more properly termed
records. (3). In singular or plural form, the total holdings--accessions
and deposits-- of a repository.
- Cataloging - The process of making entries for a catalog; additionally
it may cover all the processes involved in preparing books for the shelves,
or simply the preparation of entries for the catalog.
- Classification - (1). The arrangement of things in logical order
according to their degrees of likeness, especially the assignment of books
to their proper places in a scheme of book classification. (2). The pre-designated
filing system for a record series. (3). The act of identifying documents
or records in accordance with a pre-designated filing system.
- Description - The process of establishing intellectual control
over holdings through the preparation of finding aids (i.e., catalogs, inventories,
registers, checklists, calendars, special lists, indexes, etc.)
| Manuscripts - Documents of manuscript character, (i.e. a handwritten
or typed document, including a letterpress or carbon copy. A mechanically
produced form completed in handwriting or typescript is also considered
a manuscript), usually having historical or literary value or significance.
All manuscript records may thus be regarded as manuscripts, but generally
the term is used to distinguish non-archival from archival materials. Included
in the term are bodies or groups of personal papers with organic unity,
artificial collections of documents acquired from various sources usually
according to a plan but without regard to provenance, and individual documents
acquired by a manuscript repository because of their special importance.
| Provenance - The basic premise that papers or records created
by a specific "corporate body" (agency, institution, or division of government,
etc.), family or individual should be maintained (kept together) as a unit
according to the activity that lead to their creation. Maintaining records
by provenance allows the materials' arrangement to document the activity
that created it and acts as a "pedigree chart", showing the growth and
development of the originating entity.
| Respect des Fondes - Respect for the original order of an accession.
Original order should be preserved whenever possible or at least documented.
| Separation (Weeding) - The act of identifying and removing from
an accession those materials considered non-essential or non-record material.
POLICY STATEMENTS
ACQUISITIONS POLICY
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| Policy Statement: The TESC Archives will acquire only those materials
outlined in this policy. Exceptions may be approved by TESC's Archivist.
ACCESSION POLICY
Policy Statement:
TESC Archives will use a register system to log in new acquisitions. Registration
will be performed by the Archives staff member designated by the Archivist
upon the material's arrival using the registration log form.
ARRANGEMENT POLICY
Policy Statement:
Photographs, archives and manuscripts will be arranged by accession using
the archival hierarchy (Record group, subgroup, series, file, and item
levels) when appropriate. In cases of individual images and small accessions,
or in cases where accessions are previously arranged by topic, a subject
classification may be used. The purpose of arrangement is to provide easy
access to materials while maintaining the character of the accession. Arrangement
is supplemented and complemented by description to enable specific materials
to be located within the Archives's collection.
Definitions:
Accession: Related materials acquired from a single source and logged
into the Archives's collection as a unit.
| Record Group: Records or collections of materials derived from
a single corporate body or individual. The "Record Group" can sometimes
be equated to the generic concept of "book" and usually represents all
accessions received from a given source.
| Subgroup: Records or collections of materials produced or accumulated
by a corporate division or an individual's separate activities.
| Series: Set of documents or other materials maintained in a specified
file order. NOTE: The series level pertains to the method or manner used
to file materials not to the provenance (historical "ownership/authorship")
represented by the Record Group and Subgroup levels of the records hierarchy.
| File folder: Set of materials related by topic, chronology, or
other category and kept within a single folder.
| Item: Individual document, photograph, or other materials.
DESCRIPTION POLICY
Policy Statement:
The TESC Archives will maintain finding aids for each accession acquired.
The finding aids will conform to formats accepted by the archival profession,
and should emulate the Machine Readable Cataloging: Archives and Manuscripts
Control (MARC:AMC) format or MARC format for cataloging other special formats,
(photographs, audio and video tapes, etc.), now in use. Basic finding aids
(the Accession Record) for any accession will be completed at the time
the materials are accessioned, prior to placement in their permanent storage
location.
Definitions:
Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC): A cataloging format developed
by library and information science professionals to enable data entry and
computer manipulation of bibliographic data. Special formats exist for
various types of heritage materials likely to be found in libraries.
| Archives and Manuscripts Control (AMC) format: A special MARC
format devised by archivists, manuscripts curators and librarians that
takes account of archives and manuscripts collections' special characteristics.
| Record: The complete description of an accession or item entered
into a computer.
| Field: An element of a description record, i.e., title, author,
subject.
| Descriptors: Terms used to identify the content of a record.
| Tags: Labels used to identify fields and subfields in a record.
CONSERVATION POLICY
Policy Statement:
TESC Archives will provide care and protection for its collections based upon
sound materials conservation theory and practice as outlined in this policy.
The Archives staff will provide appropriate storage materials and environment
to the extent that funding allows; use exhibit techniques approved by the general
museum community that conform to strict conservation procedures; develop appropriate
security rules and regulations to protect against theft and vandalism; create
and keep current an emergency/disaster plan for prevention of and recovery from
any natural or man made catastrophic event. The Dean of the Library will appoint
an individual responsible for maintaining all aspects of the conservation policy.
If a professional level staff is not employed, the Library should request a
review of the Archives' conservation needs from the State Archives on a biennial
basis.
Definitions:
Preservation: The control of factors that influence the degradation of
heritage materials, i.e., environment, vermin, acid formation, oxidation of
images, etc. Conservation:
| Actions that result in retardation of vectors (acid formation with paper,
etc.) that cause degradation of cultural materials.
| Qualified Professional: Archivist, librarian, or conservator
trained in the theory and practice of heritage materials conservation and
preservation.
DE-ACCESSION POLICY
Policy Statement:
The Archives staff will conform to the Acquisitions policy. Materials previously
accessioned or received with an acquisition that are not within the Acquisition
Policy parameters will be de-accessioned by staff responsible for the collections
before placement of the accession in it's final storage location. The staff
will attempt to return de-accessioned materials to their donor or to other
institutions before resorting to ultimate disposal.
Definitions:
De-accession: The act of separating and discarding unwanted material
from an accession.
| Separation: The act of removing items, folders, or series from
an accession when they are not integral to the accession or are unrelated
to the purpose for which the accession was acquired.
REFERENCE POLICY
Policy Statement:
Reference availability to materials held by the TESC Archives will be open
to all legitimate enquiries from the public. Normal access will be during
work hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) Monday through Friday when staff is
available. Reference service will be provided by staff members. Staff will
treat all patrons equally and with courtesy. Staff will offer help with
use of finding aids and materials location but not research help unless
the patron is willing to recompense the Archives for staff time.
Definitions:
Legitimate enquiries: Include research questions in history, genealogy,
sociology, and other areas of academic study; requests for personal curiosity;
use of photographic materials in exhibits, etc. Enquiries not honored will
include: requests for staff to do research (see above for exception), requests
from children under 16 unaccompanied by an adult, and frivolous requests
without a reasonable intent to do research.
| There are basically three kinds of requests:
- 1. Students and researchers looking for information on specific subjects
related to The Evergreen State College (TESC).
- 2. Members of the community seeking specific images or other materials
for exhibition materials (including the TESC Faculty, Staff, and others).
- 3. For materials not held by this repository.
PUBLICATIONS/XEROX REQUESTS
Policy Statement; PUBLICATIONS:
Permission to examine materials is not an authorization to publish them. Separate
written application for permission to publish must be made to the Archivist.
Policy Statement; XEROX REQUESTS:
Copies of documents and photographs may be obtained by Archives patrons with
the permission of the staff member present. Provision of copies does not constitute
permission to publish (see above and Policy Manual).
Policy Statement; Reproduction of Audio-Visual Materials:
It is the policy of the Archives not to lend the A-V materials in the collection.
Should a patron request a copy of a audio or video tape, or photograph the
following procedure must be followed:
Procedure:
- A-V materials may only be copied through arrangements made by Archives
staff.
- Patrons must pay the cost for blank cassettes (for A-V materials) or if
requesting photographic formats, both prints and negatives (if a negative
is not available in the Archives).
- Negatives produced at the patron's expense become the property of the
Archives for the future use of our patrons. Payment must accompany the work
order. Checks are made payable to "TESC Archives".
- Photos will be taken to be duplicated by Archives staff and the patron
may pick up the work at the Archives. Alternatively, a patron may bring
a camera to the Archives to copy a photograph.
Borrowing Materials:
Only in extremely rare cases will the Archives lend materials from the collection.
So that the materials are preserved for future use we require the following
from our borrowers:
- Materials must be returned by the date specified by the Archives
staff.
- Do not mount original photographs.
- Copies should not be mounted on
paper, cardboard, etc. or use glue, rubber cement, tape, metal paper clips
or adhesives of any kind.
- Do not write on any materials.
Use care in handling materials: do not put fingerprints on the surface,
do not bend or fold.
- In all cases publication or display of our materials must carry the
credit line: "from the collection of The Evergreen State College Archives".
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