Reflecting SJSU’s emphasis on teaching, research, scholarship, creative activity, and service, the University Archives seeks to collect correspondence, photographs, research files, journals, memos, manuscript drafts, and other records of the personal and professional lives of our faculty. The University Archives will not be able to accept every collection of faculty papersⓘ offered, but will make efforts to ensure that our collections are representative of the broad scope, innovations, and achievements of our faculty. Consideration of collection priorities listed at 5.1, in addition to the following selection criteria, will be a significant factor in deciding whether to accept a collection of faculty papers.
Selection Criteria
At a minimum, faculty papers must meet one or more of the following criteria to be considered for acquisition:
Research addresses areas of existing collection strengths (e.g. politics, women in leadership, social and political activism, art and art history, LGBTQ+ history, sports history) AND collection includes original material such as notes or publication drafts, and not solely reproductions of material available in other repositories.
Research addresses areas of critical importance to the region (e.g. agriculture, technology, California History, women in local political leadership, local history of marginalized communities) AND collection includes original material such as notes or publication drafts, and not solely reproductions of material available in other repositories.
Individual has documented affinity with identities that were underrepresented in their field at the time the papers were created.
Papers document a course of study or program unique to SJSU.
Individual has achieved distinction within or beyond their field in the form of receiving a significant award, establishing a new area of research, being appointed to a significant national or international organization, or being appointed to a cabinet-level federal office.*
Individual was a participant in, eyewitness to, or commentator on a major historical event.*
*(Adapted from University of California Libraries.)
Additional considerations that may impact whether a collection can be acquired include, but are not limited to, the collection’s size, any unique preservation needs, and restrictions on access. The decision to offer a collection of faculty papers belongs to the faculty whose work is represented in the collection. The final decision on whether to acquire a collection of faculty papers belongs to the University Archivist, who may decide to acquire all, some, or none of the papers in the offered collection.
Copyright for faculty papers may be retained by their creator, or transferred to SJSU Special Collections & Archives. The University Archives does not normally accept donations of books, though exceptions might be made in the case of a heavily annotated copy, or an out of print title that may be a meaningful addition to our rare books collection. Faculty interested in donating their collection can contact the University Archivist for an initial appraisalⓘ of their materials. This is not a monetary appraisal, but an assessment of how the proposed donation aligns with the University Archives’ mission and meets the selection criteria. The University Archivist can also advise faculty on the maintenance of their personal archives, or assist in identifying an alternative institution to which the materials may be donated if desired.