Donating Archival and Historic Materials to the McGoogan Health Sciences Library Special Collections and Archives

What to Donate

Archivists on the staff of Special Collections and Archives work closely with donors to identify those materials of research interest, which should be preserved.

The types of materials listed below are often valuable. These lists are suggestive but not definitive. Documents can be paper, photographs, or digital files.

• Teaching at UNMC
  • Lecture Notes
  • Course Outlines
  • Syllabi
  • Reading Lists
  • Exams
• Research
  • Drafts
  • CV/Resume
  • Data
  • Research/Subject Files

• Professional Service
  • Correspondence/Memos
  • Reports
  • Minutes
  • Newsletters
• UNMC Service
  • Correspondence/Memos
  • Reports
  • Minutes
• Personal
  • Memoirs/diaries/correspondence
  • Scrapbooks
  • Audio/Visual Material

Because the research value of papers and records may be diminished if items are removed or rearranged, donors are encouraged to contact the staff of Special Collections and Archives before selecting materials for donation.

Artifact donations are also encouraged. These may consist of prototypes, instruments, awards/plaques, textiles, equipment, or other 3-dimensional items integral to the work of UNMC. Items will be evaluated on the basis of provenance, research value, exhibition opportunity, and storage space of the special collections.

The Transfer of Materials to Manuscripts and Archives

Special Collections and Archives staff will work with the donor to determine the best method for delivery of the donation to UNMC’s McGoogan Library.

Description and Preservation of Collections

Archival collections are arranged and described by professional archivists. They prepare descriptive guides and inventories, which are used by researchers to select materials to study.

All collections are kept in environmentally controlled, secure, closed storage areas, and do not circulate outside of Special Collections and Archives. Materials are used in a supervised reading room. When the department is closed, the facility is protected by an electronic security system and by the security staffs of the library and university. Digital files will be stored on secured servers and will be migrated as technology changes to ensure they are accessible/usable in the future.

Institutional loans of archival materials or artifacts can be arranged, but are subject to environmental and security protocols.

The McGoogan Library encourages use and access to the Special Collections and Archives while also maintaining the highest preservation standards for the material.

The Legal Agreement Necessary for Donation

Donors are asked to sign a deed of gift, the legal document that governs a donation of materials to UNMC McGoogan Library Special Collections and Archives. The deed addresses physical ownership, ownership of intellectual property rights, and access to the materials.

For Further Information

To discuss donating a collection of personal papers, organizational records, photographs, or artifacts, please email Carrie Meyer, Head of Special Collections and Archives at carrie.meyer@unmc.edu.