Archives Collection Policy

Updated: 8/1/16; ​Reviewed: 10/13/21
Contact: Library Services

The mission of the Archives of the Charles F. Curry Library is to collect, protect, arrange, and preserve materials related to William Jewell College in order to provide researchers with information about the rich history of the College and the City of Liberty.

The Special Collections and Archives works to support the research and teaching programs of the College, enhance the Curry Library general collection, and provide opportunities for researchers to receive insight into the history of the College. The collection has three main points of focus: history of the institution, local history, and history of Missouri Baptists. In its effort to retain a prominent collection of the history of the College, the Library will collect materials on the development of William Jewell College, non-active faculty, staff, and alumni, and notable events associated with the College. The Library may choose to collect tangible materials from alumni and faculty, provided that the Library is indeed the most suitable home for the collection. To support the preservation of local history, the Library will collect materials about the founding of Liberty and its constituents. Lastly, the Library will collect materials about the history of Baptists in Missouri, which will be housed in the William E. Partee Center for Baptist Historical Studies.

SCOPE OF THE COLLECTION
College Archives

  • Minutes, agendas, and pertinent correspondence of councils, offices, and committees
  • Information on founders; deeds of land and building of Jewell and the town of Liberty
  • Office files of the Presidents, administrators, deans; correspondence of significance with faculty and students
  • Newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and press releases
  • School records: student records, school catalogs, information on major programs of study, honors, awards, and scholarships
  • Photographs of college events, buildings, faculty, administration, students, and organizations
  • All student and faculty publications including: newspapers, pamphlets, papers, magazines, and books
  • Materials on the history of William Jewell College: documents and books about the history and events of the college
  • Materials from student and faculty events: programs and publications
  • Records of Jewell athletic teams
  • Biography files for alumni, faculty, Presidents, staff, trustees, and visiting persons of note
  • Personal papers and notable correspondence
  • Select financial and business records
  • Special collections donated by alumni

William E. Partee Center

  • Minutes, publications, photographs, and histories of Baptist associations
  • Books on the history, doctrines, and beliefs of the Baptist faith
  • Missouri Baptist Church and Association histories and record books
  • Personal documents of or about notable Baptists related to Missouri Baptist history and Missouri newspapers, journals, and other publications relating to Baptist history

MATERIALS NOT COLLECTED

  • Detailed financial records
  • Genealogical histories
  • Materials that do not support the mission of the archives
  • Materials that are beyond the Library’s capabilities to house and preserve
  • Materials that are a better fit for another organization’s mission

GIFT ACCEPTANCE POLICY
Donated items accepted by William Jewell College should meet the guidelines established by the Charles F. Curry Special Collections and Archival Collections Development Policy. They should clearly relate to the history of William Jewell College or the mission of the Special Collections. Manuscript, archival, and book or published items are acceptable for the archival collection. If the condition of the donated item is so poor as to inhibit use, it may be rejected as a gift. The Curry Library accepts gifts from individuals, groups, and institutions. The library does not actively solicit archival or special collections, but accepts appropriate donations.

As the accession process on a donation begins, it may be rejected if there are already numerous copies of the gift item. The Library follows a general rule of maintaining two copies of published materials on hand but is not required to accept multiple copies that it deems redundant. The Library reserves the right to deaccession multiple copies at a later date. Artifacts that relate to the history of the College or local history are accepted on a limited basis. The items will become a part of the College’s artifact collection. The items are available for displays in the Library and for library users to view when requested in the Archives Reading Room.

William Jewell College reserves the right to refuse any gift donation on the basis of content, format, size, or condition. The Special Collections and Archives have a limited amount of space and minimal preservation capabilities. Some donated collections may be refused if they can be better preserved and would be more accessible at another institution.

When a donation is received, items will be sorted by library staff to determine if the donation is appropriate for the collection. If the materials fit both the collection and donation policies, a deed of gift will be filled out to transfer ownership to the Library. If not all materials are deemed desirable, they will be set aside and the donor will be given the opportunity to retrieve the items that will not be included in the collection.

DEED OF GIFT POLICY
A Deed of Gift form should be filled out at the time of donation. The form requires a description of the donated material, name, and address of the donor, a library rights statement and the date and signature of staff member accepting the gift. The staff member completing the form should provide the donor with a copy of the completed form. This form will be used at the discretion of the archive librarian. For more valuable collections, a more extensive legal Deed of Gift form may need to be established in cooperation with the William Jewell College Office of Advancement. The Curry Library does not provide monetary evaluation of the gift for tax purposes or other reasons. The Deed of Gift form is kept with the accession record for the item(s) donated.