ARCHIVES

The following policy statement was drawn up by the College Archivist, Eric Hillemann, concerning college records. Feel free to contact Eric if you have any questions. He will be happy to advise you about record management and record storage.

Policy on College Records and Archives

The College Archives is the official depository for non-current college records having lasting administrative or historical value. All documents, correspondence, accounts, files, manuscripts, publications, photographs, tapes, drawings, or other material regardless of physical form and characteristics, which are created or maintained by college officers, staff, or faculty members in the performance of assigned administrative duties are considered “college records” and are the property of the College. Pursuant to a 1974 action of the Board of Trustees, no such records are to be discarded, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of except after consultation between the College Archivist and the administrative officers, department heads, or committee chairs responsible for the custody of these records during their active life. Approval either to transfer inactive college records to Archives or to destroy them after an agreed-upon period may take the form of written records disposition schedules or other agreements between the Archivist and the custodian of the records. A number of general “blanket” authorizations for disposal of certain classes of routine records have already been issued – please contact the Archives if you have any questions. One copy of every publication issued by the College or any college agency should always be forwarded to the Archives.

Restrictions on access to records transferred to Archives may be negotiated by the agency or office of transmittal. Reference service provided by the Archives to the College may include searching records to provide specific pieces of information, making copies of particular documents, or making records available for consultation in the Archives. Offices and departments which transfer records to Archives may request the return of records to the transmitting office, if transfer to Archives is found to have been premature.

In addition to official college records as defined above, the Archives may also accept donations of professional and personal papers belonging to individual members of the College community, records of student organizations, or other material documenting aspects of the life or business of Carleton College that may be given to the Archives for preservation and use.