|
Other Administrative Documents
GO BACK TO ADMIN. DOCS INDEX > |
Archives: Guidelines & ProceduresBy Maryly Snow, Fall 1995, revised by Nedda Ahmed, Winter 2005The ARLIS/NA Archives are housed in the Department of Special Collections of the Syracuse University Library. Syracuse special collections has particular interest in libraries and the history of the book as well as the fine arts, including design and architecture, and collects very selectively the papers of professional societies in those areas. Keeping company with ARLIS/NA are the Industrial Designers Society of America , the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, the Society of Christian Ethics, and numerous adult and continuing education societies. ARLIS/NA and Syracuse found each other through Antje Lemke, professor emeritus from Syracuse and friend of the former head of Special Collections, Amy Doherty. Antje was the recipient in 1987 of the ARLIS/NA Distinguished Service Award and an ARLIS/NA honorary life member. The following main record groups of ARLIS/NA papers have been established:
Top of Page What to send to the archives?The executive director's and headquarters files and the presidents' files are to be complete. That is, copies are kept of everything that fits within the general weeding guidelines established by Syracuse University, including copies of items received from other people and groups.All other files are to include only items generated by that individual or group, or original incoming material. On a practical level, groups or individuals other than the executive director and president would keep for the archives only material that they themselves wrote, or items that were sent to them as the primary recipient. They would not keep copies of reports or correspondence generated by other individuals or groups unless they had received the original or the only copy sent to ARLIS/NA. The net effect of this arrangement is that there should be in the archives three copies of most major documents and reports (in the executive director's files, in the president's files, and in the generating individual or group's files), and one or two copies of other items (one copy if they were sent to or received from an outside agency or individual and two copies if they were sent to or received from another ARLIS/NA entity). Conference archives are dealt with separately in the Conference Planning Manual, but, briefly, conference co-chairs and committee members should include with their final reports any documents (such as forms, form letters, contracts) which could have permanent value to future conference planners. The original copy of the conference final report is deposited in the society archives. Correspondence that sheds light on the intellectual development of the program may also be retained for the archives. Routine, repetitive correspondence and other papers dealing with such matters as tours, transportation, exhibits, social events, and registration, should be offered to the following year's conference planners and then discarded. Chapters sometimes collect materials that are of local interest but do not concern the actual workings of the chapters. Some examples might include catalogs or announcements from local galleries and museums, or information on local artists. When a cha pter no longer wants to keep such materials they may make arrangements with a local institution to take over the collection. Copies of any documents relating to these arrangements should be sent to the ARLIS/NA executive director. If the chapter doe s not make local arrangements for housing of the collection, the current officers should consult with the ARLIS/NA executive director as to the proper disposition of the collection. Top of Page When to send to the archives?Generally, any time, keeping in mind the three-year record processing cycle, ARLIS/NA presidents serve a three-year term on the executive board, and their papers are processed for the archives on a three-year cycle as well. When past presidents leave office they turn over the papers from their three-year term to the archives.ARLIS/NA headquarters will keep only the past three years worth of the executive director's papers, and then every three years thereafter will send the first three years worth to Syracuse. At any given time, therefore, headquarters might have between three and six years worth of papers on hand. Other individuals and groups may decide for themselves how many yea rs of past papers they want to keep and pass on to their successors. These will be sent directly to the archives. According to a survey done in the mid-1980s, most officers and groups felt that one to two years of back papers were all they ne eded. It is probably advisable, when convenient, to consult with your successor before making this decision. It is the responsibility of the outgoing officer, however, to weed and then list and send to the archives any papers not wanted by the inco ming officer. Regardless of when material is sent, however, it will be processed only every three years, when the headquarters files are sent to Syracuse. There may, therefore, be a period of up to three years when material deposited by other individuals or gro ups within the society will not be processed and hence not fully accessible. Because 1995 is one of those third years, papers will be processed by Syracuse in early 1996. Top of Page How to send materials to the archives?According to standard archival practice, all papers should be kept and deposited with the archives in their original order, which is generally by subject and then chronological. The Syracuse archives staff will be responsible for transferring materials to archival storage containers and relabeling them.Materials for archival deposit should be shipped to: Carolyn A. Davis, Manuscripts Librarian Special Collections 600 E.S. Bird Library Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 13244 phone: (315) 443-2697. UPS shipping is recommended since lost items can be traced more easily than those sent through the postal service. A separate cover letter indicating the general contents of the shipment and the date shipped should be sent to Carolyn Davis with a copy to ARLIS/NA headquarters and the ARLIS/NA secretary. Any questions regarding depositing or retrieving materials from the ARLIS/NA archives should be directed to the ARLIS/NA President. Top of Page |