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Collection Development Policy Suite

 

Policies for Special Collections & University Archives

Special Collections & University Archives is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making accessible for research, primary and secondary source materials that document the history of the University, Edmond and other Oklahoma communities. These source materials comprise a variety of formats, including but not limited to, books, media, personal papers, photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, memorabilia, ephemera, and other archival materials with historical and/or research value. Additionally, Special Collections & University Archives is responsible for documenting the history of UCO since its inception in 1890 through preservation of non-current university records that have long term value informing the development of UCO over time. These materials are available for use by students, faculty, staff, scholars, and visitors doing research on Oklahoma history.

Selection Criteria

In general, Special Collections focuses geographically on materials about the American West with emphasis on the Southwest, Oklahoma, and Edmond. The Library considers materials for Special Collections that match aspects of the following subject areas:

  • Pre-Territorial and Territorial Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma Native American Tribes
  • Indigenous Peoples of Oklahoma
  • Plains Indians
  • The 89er Pioneers
  • The Boomers
  • The Dust Bowl
  • Oklahoma Newspapers
  • Edmond and Area Communities
  • University of Central Oklahoma

Due to the nature of special collections and the variety of materials they encompass, the Library also considers materials by the following factors:

  • Quality and historical significance and the item or collection's capacity to enhance existing collection areas
  • Physical condition of the item or collection
  • Ability to properly store and care for the item or collection
  • Physical size and scope of the collection in comparison to the Library's space capacity
  • Value of an item or collection
  • Uniqueness of an item or collection
  • Documentation of clear legal ownership and previous ownership history (provenance)
  • Identification of any legal, ethical, or compliance concerns

Additionally, the university archives focuses its efforts on preserving the following:

  • Student papers, generally graduate theses and dissertations
  • Faculty papers, generally those that relate to an individual's teaching, research and university service
  • Alumni papers that provide evidence of student life and activities
  • University publications, including the yearbook, campus newspaper, departmental newsletters, catalogs, course schedules, employee handbooks, and press release
  • University administrative papers, including the working files of past presidents and vice presidents, annual statistical reports, records of student organizations, minutes of the board of regents, and the records of the Faculty Senate and the Staff Senate
  • University memorabilia, including banners, flags, trophies, plaques, attire and other items bearing University logos
  • University photographs, including negatives, film, and digital files of campus life throughout UCO’s history

Retention

In general, items in the Special Collections & University Archives are held in perpetuity, unless deemed appropriate for deaccession as described in the next section. Some items in Special Collections & University Archives follow individual retention policies, as determined by the Coordinator of Special Collections & University Archives, based on unique factors.

Bronze Books

Due to full-text digital availability of the Bronze Books, Special Collections & University Archives will permanently retain a maximum of three copies of each volume. Exceptions may be made for condition and rarity. One copy will be held in the 215 Reading Room for patron use, and up to two copies will be preserved in basement storage. Donations of Bronze Books shall be accepted only if the donated volume’s condition is superior to an existing copy's.

Deaccession

The Coordinator of Special Collections & University Archives is responsible for initiating the deaccession process, which, depending on the item/s under consideration, may need to include the Executive Director and the campus’ General Counsel. When items or collections are reviewed for deaccession, the Library considers the following factors:

  • Lack of aesthetic, historical, or scholarly value, and offers little potential for exhibition, research, or educational use
  • Duplicative content already in the collection
  • Severe damage or deterioration to the extent that restoration is financially or physically prohibitive
  • Lack of specialized storage, conservation, or display conditions required for ongoing preservation
  • Reproduction or facsimile that lacks intrinsic value or significance
  • Determination of item or collection being inauthentic/fraudulent, stolen, illegally imported, or otherwise in violation of local, state, federal, or international regulations
  • Competing meritorious claims of ownership
  • Outside the scope of Special Collection & University Archives’ selection criteria

Deaccession may only proceed for items for which Special Collections & University Archives holds clear legal title, and in full compliance with all applicable local, state, federal, and international laws. The process must not violate the terms of any gift, will, or bequest associated with the item. Special Collections & University Archives will respect, whenever feasible, the original intent of the donor. In consultation with the Executive Director, the Coordinator of Special Collections & University Archives will determine the most appropriate method of disposition.

Gift Policy

The Coordinator of Special Collections & University Archives leads all communications with donors and potential donors and handles these relations separately from the Library’s Coordinator of Advancement & Communications. In addition to criteria outlined above, the following factors are considered when assessing a potential donation:

  • Gifts to the University of Central Oklahoma Special Collections & University Archives may be tax deductible; the Library will provide a list of donated titles but does not have the expertise to provide evaluations.
  • Loans are not ordinarily accepted due to the expenses involved in processing, maintaining, and insuring collections.
  • Donations are considered outright and unconditional gifts to be used at the discretion of the Special Collections & University Archives in accordance with the gift agreement.
  • The University of Central Oklahoma Special Collections & University Archives will endeavor to arrange, preserve and administer gift materials in keeping with the best interests of both impartial scholarship and the donor.
  • The University of Central Oklahoma Special Collections & University Archives shall have the right to make the materials available to any qualified researcher, within the guidelines governing the use of the Special Collections & University Archives, and also the right to grant researchers permission to print quotations which embrace either a part of the whole or any portion of the unpublished materials in the gift as long as it does not conflict with the donor’s gift agreement.
  • The University of Central Oklahoma Special Collections & University Archives has the right to make copies of the materials by microfilming, scanning, or any other process which does not infringe upon the copyright laws of the land.
  • If any portion of a gift is not deemed suitable to the purpose of the collection, the Coordinator of Special Collections & University Archives will determine the most appropriate method of disposition, or it may be returned to the donor if stipulated in the gift agreement.