|
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of records
should I save?
These are
examples of inactive records that may be considered of permanent,
historical, legal value and should be transferred to the South Dakota
State University Archives in compliance with the records management
schedule:
-
Accreditation Self-Study Files:
Records concerning accreditation. May include
minutes, publications, working papers, drafts and the completed
self-study.
-
Annual Operating Budget Requests
-
Annual Reports Files:
Annual reports of the college or department.
-
Audio-Visual Files:
Films, sound recordings and other audio-visual records created
through activities, functions, facilities, and its staff.
-
Budget Requests, Annual Operating:
Information includes organizational chart,
mission statements, goals and objectives, program missions
deferred, dollar amount requested broken down by activity,
capital maintenance projects, performance indicators and revenue
projections.
-
Calendar of Events
-
Certificates and awards
-
Committees and Councils Files:
Records concerning committees and councils that are either
internal to the department or division or are university-wide in
nature and govern the activities of the department or division.
Files may consist of minutes, proceedings, reports,
notifications, correspondence and related files.
-
Constitution and by-laws
-
Course descriptions and schedules
-
Correspondence Files:
Files of both general and intracampus correspondence. Drafts,
routine acknowledgements and transmittals and copies of widely
distributed correspondence and memorandums should be weeded
before transfer. Widely distributed correspondence originating
from office should be kept.
-
Faculty and student directories
-
History Files: General
informational files on the development of the college or its
academic departments. May include notes, typescripts,
publications, newsletters, reports, correspondence, photographs,
and other related records.
-
Long-term planning records
-
Office files of principal administrator of
college or department: Including
correspondence and memoranda relating to policies, curriculum
development or department operations
-
Operational records of offices of University Administration
-
Photograph Files:
Photographic prints and/or negatives of the college's
activities, functions, facilities, and its faculty, staff and
students. (prints and negatives)
-
Policy and Procedure Files, Manuals, and
Handbooks: Includes files and manuals
for college-wide policies.
-
Publications, college, departmental:
Two copies of all publications produced. Includes newsletters,
brochures, announcements, programs, and promotional literature
including mailings, flyers, and posters
-
Publications, Faculty:
Publications by the faculty of the college and/or academic
department. Publications of non-SDSU faculty are to be destroyed
when their usefulness as reference files ends and as per
copyright guidelines.
-
Records in other media:
(digital, video, audio)
-
Reports: Such as annual
reports, accreditation reports, self-studies, planning documents
and reports on special topics
-
Academic Senate records:
Including agendas, minutes, and correspondence.
-
Special Gifts Files:
Records concerning special gifts to the college or its academic
departments. May include correspondence, agreements and
stipulations, descriptions of gifts, accession information and
other related records.
-
Speeches Files: Scripts
of speeches given by the Dean, faculty, etc. in regard to the
college or its departments.
-
Staff/Student job descriptions
-
Undergraduate and graduate catalogs
I am a a faculty
member. How are my personal papers affected?
SDSU Faculty
may create and maintain files that are university records and therefore
fall under records management policies. Faculty may also create files
that are personal papers but may also be significant to the university
and the South Dakota State University Archives.
Professional
employees are encouraged to consult the University Archivist in regard
to donating their personal papers to the South Dakota State University
Archives. These donations assist in developing a complete record of
individual activities and accomplishments.
Documents and
materials collected by SDSU employees that do not affect university
activities are considered personal papers if they relate to personal
affairs. Such materials are considered private property and are not
owned by the university. These files should be kept separate from
official university records.
Examples of
personal files include:
-
Documents accumulated by an individual prior to employment by
SDSU
-
Faculty or instructor’s course materials or lecture notes
-
Materials relating specifically to private activities such as
outside business and professional or political affiliations
-
Diaries, journal or correspondence that are not created and
received through conducting university activities or business
Non-university organizations may or may not fall directly under the
university administration and include alumni associations, student
organizations, the university foundation and institutes with federal or
private funding.
How do I deposit my papers
and/or records at South Dakota State University Archives?
The SDSU
Archives, as a repository for the university’s permanent records,
provides a secure, environmentally controlled space. SDSU Archives
strives both to preserve deposited material and to make it accessible to
patrons.
Individuals
that create or administer records may contact the SDSU Archives for
information and assistance in the use, preservation, and the transfer
process.
How do I prepare records
for transferring to the archives?
Consult with
the University Archivist (688-4906 of 688-5094) before transferring
materials. In case of a large volume of records to be transferred, its
best to have the records examined before they are sent and Archives
staff may want to participate in packing them for transfer.
-
Each
office should provide a description of what types of records are
intended for transfer (i.e. subject files, committee records,
personnel files, etc.) and the amount of records involved (i.e.
number of file drawers of records).
-
The
Archives will provide boxes upon request and will transport the
materials if requested.
Prepare
records for transfer.
-
Remove
duplicate copies of documents. One copy is sufficient unless
otherwise noted in Records Retention Guidelines.
-
Remove
drafts of documents. Retain only the final version unless there is
none. (Exception: for major planning documents: save
preliminary discussion documents, background reports which served as
the basis for different sections, and drafts which contain
substantive differences from the final versions.)
-
Discard
materials that have no informational value, such as, envelopes,
routing slips, telephone messages, and illegible notes.
Box the
records scheduled for transfer.
-
Maintain
the filing arrangement of the records (i.e. alphabetic, numeric,
chronological, subject).
-
Keep the
records in their original file folders and ensure that the files are
clearly labeled, including span dates. (Example: Minutes,
1983-1990).
-
Do not
over-pack or under-pack the boxes. For half filled boxes, wadded up
scrap paper may be used as filler.
-
Clearly
label the boxes.
Upon receipt
of records, a Records Transfer form will be sent to the originating
office.
When in
doubt, contact the University Archives, 688-5094.
What happens to deposited
papers and/or records once they arrive in the archives?
South Dakota
State University endeavors to make materials as accessible as possible.
Formal processing consists of the following steps:
Accessioning
Accessioning is the steps taken to gain initial physical,
administrative, legal and intellectual control over newly acquired
material. An accession number is assigned to each collection as it
arrives in the archives.
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement includes establishing a gift agreement with the
donor or completing the records transfer process if university
related.
Appraisal
A general
review of the records is conducted noting the condition of the
records. This analysis concentrates on the records, containers, the
condition of the enclosed files and papers, and the disposition of
non-archival materials.
Preliminary Container List
A
preliminary container list of accessioned material is created
listing all materials received in a deposit. The best arrangement
for the collection is often identified with the help of this list.
This list will also be used to access the material before it is
fully processed.
Arrangement
Arrangement, also called processing, is the process of organizing
archival materials. The goal of arrangement is physically dividing
the collection into discrete series or sub-series to illustrate
function or activity, and assembled, at least on paper, into
different sub-groups to document creating organizational units.
Processing consists of arrangement and description of archival
records and makes up a large portion work in the archives.
Preservation
It is
during the arrangement step the physical cleaning and weeding the
collection occurs. Often a collection may be very dusty, wrinkled,
or torn. Mold may also be present. Materials that are not in good
condition must be made presentable. Some of the special treatments
applied to materials are re-foldering/boxing, removal of harmful
fasteners, flattening, photocopying, and encapsulation.
Description
Description is the process of analyzing, organizing, and recording
information that serves to identify, manage, locate, and explain the
holdings of an arranged collection. The end result of the
description process is a finding aid.
How can I care for my old books?
The most common problem
with books is that they are made out of paper. Before 1850, almost all
paper was made out of cotton rag. This paper has survived very
well, and it will likely survive for a great deal longer. After
1850, however, companies began making paper out of wood.
Wood-based paper contains acid, which causes the paper to become
yellowed and brittle. Unfortunately, little can been done to stop
this process. You can minimize the effects in the following ways:
Keep books away from acidic materials. Acid
migrates; it does not stay in one place.
-
Store precious
books away from cheaper paperbacks.
-
Create a
buffer between wooden book shelves and precious books. A
layer of tinfoil or a layer of polyester film, is
sufficient.
Do not remove books from the shelf by the spine.
-
The spine is
the weakest part of the book.
-
Remove books
from shelves by placing hands on both sides of the book and
pulling gently. Alternatively, reach over the top of the
book and use hand to push the book.
Keep books clean.
-
Use a cloth to
dust book covers and ends. Make sure the books are tightly
closed, because stray dust can get between the pages and
cause damage.
-
Do not use
feather dusters. They simply move dust around.
-
Vacuum if the
dust is thick. Cover brush with cheese cloth to minimize
contact with the book.
Keep the environment stable.
Store books away from environmental dangers.
-
Limit exposure
to food and drink, which attract bugs and molds.
-
Keep books
dry. Molds grow in moist or humid environments.
-
Polyester film
covers provide an excellent way to limit contact with the
environment.
-
Minimize
exposure to ultraviolet light. Put your bookshelf in a
shady corner of a room and turn off lights when not in use.
-
Do not put
books on display unless using a filtered light source.
Limit use.
-
One of the
most common problems with preserving books is that people
want to read them! Food and drink are often consumed
during use, and exposure to water sometimes occurs.
Limiting use is the best way to prevent dames, but since we
do use books, care should be taken.
-
Supervise
others who wish to use your precious books. Do not
lend the books out unless you are certain of their safety.
-
For very old
books, wash your hands before use or wear gloves.
Do not attempt to repair books yourself.
How can I care for my old photographs?
Photographs, a frequently
enjoyed window on the past, are particularly hard to preserve. The
process used to make photos has changed many times over the years, and
each process has some different preservation requirements. Most
photographs from the 20th century are either black and white silver
prints, or they are color prints. Older photographs sometimes require
attention beyond what is listed below, but the following guidelines are
useful for all photographs.
Identify your photographs.
-
Use a soft pencil
or archival photo pen to identify photographs and press lightly.
-
Identify dates,
events, people, places and context in the photographs.
Use care with photo albums.
-
Buy a photo album
that states it is PVC free or is made with archivally sound
materials (including acid free paper). They cost more, but are
worth it.
-
Use acid free or
polyester corners to attach photographs to the acid-free page.
Do not use glue or tape.
Use care when handling items.
-
Wash your hands or
wear gloves before handling. Oils on hands can cause permanent
damage to photographs.
-
If the photograph
is brittle, support it on a piece of paper or blotter board.
Make a copy to reduce handling of the original is the best
solution.
Keep the environment stable.
-
Fluctuation in
temperature and humidity (RH) should be minimized.
-
55-70˚F
is a good target, 40-50˚F is better, but
harder to maintain.
-
RH
should be 45-60%. 40% is better, but harder to maintain, and may
possibly damage paper records stored in the same location.
-
Freezing only matters if you can achieve and maintain very low,
very dry temperatures (≤
20˚F, ≤
10% RH). The chemistry of the photographic material can be
retarded by low temperature. Freezing may actually harm
some materials. Check before putting your pictures 'on ice.'
DO NOT
-
Attach photographs with glue or tape. Especially avoid rubber
cement and mucilage.
-
Use
photo albums with pages that stick to or tough the surface of an
image.
-
Attempt to repair damaged photographs. The supplies
available to most people (glue/tape) can cause more harm than
good. Rolled and brittle photographs may break, and need
humidification before handling. Damaged photographs can be
scanned, undergo brilliant repairs with modern image handling
software, and then be reprinted.
-
Display originals. Light (no, not just ultraviolet)
damages photographs. You can make great copies on a good
scanner, or have a professional make a reprint at your local
photo shop.
|
