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“Brandeis

Donation and Collection of Archival Materials at Brandeis University

This guide is to help inform potential or active donors of materials for the University Archives at Brandeis University

Brandeis Faculty Papers

The University Archivist may acquire or accept for donation selected professional papers of current and former faculty members.

What criteria are used for accepting faculty papers?

 

  • The faculty member's position in and relationship to the University, as evidenced by tenure status, chairship, and longevity within the institution;
  • The faculty member’s scholarly impact on the field of study and on the greater community; 
  • The quality of primary-source materials available at the time of acquisition;
  • The faculty member's involvement in departmental and/or university affairs;
  • The extent to which the faculty member's papers enhance the documentation of university history;
  • Patron demand for the faculty member's papers;
  • The faculty member's willingness to provide unrestricted access to his/her papers for research use;
  • The availability of in-house resources for properly storing, arranging, and describing the papers.

 

What about privacy and confidentiality?

Faculty members, or their designated donors, have the right to impose reasonable restrictions on their papers to protect confidentiality. These restrictions, agreed upon in consultation with the University Archivist, must be documented in a formal gift, deposit, or transfer agreement. The University Archivist may reject agreements that restrict access to materials in perpetuity or do not specify a future date for lifting restrictions on materials.

This excerpt is from the University Archives Access Policy, as updated May 2020.