The Archives of the University of Missouri at Columbia acquires the archival records of the Columbia Campus and the Central Administration of the University System. The Archives also solicits personal papers, manuscripts, and other organizational records that enrich the historical understanding of the University, the University System and the University community.
The University Archives appraises, acquires, arranges, describes, preserves and provides access to the records produced by the administration of the University and by the teaching, research and service functions of its departments, units and faculty members. These records are acquired as evidence of the actions and transactions of the University and its various constituencies in order to defend the interests of the University and the citizens of this State, to serve its policy-making units, and to document its history. Acquisition is not motivated by the need to support specific teaching or research programs; rather, it is mandated by the basic fact that the University exists as a corporate entity. Its component parts and individual faculty members produce records documenting actions and transactions in the course of their business and in pursuit of the University?s mission as a teaching and research institution. No other archives or historical records depository has a mandate to build a repository of records and documents which are pertinent to the operation of the University. The acquisition and the completeness of the records of the University depend on the comprehensive and systematic records management program informed by university policy governing the authorized retention and disposition of its records. Access to these records is also determined by University policy, by contractual arrangements, and by state and federal statutes and regulations related to access and privacy. The policy of the archives is to acquire that small percentage of total university records which are evaluated to have continuing legal, evidential or research value, and as essential sources for the organization's corporate memory.
In addition to the records of the University, the University Archives acquires records from individuals, from organizations, and from other institutions that complement and enhance records already acquired, thereby adding strength to the teaching and research interests of our academic community. Areas of interest include but are not necessarily restricted to: the personal and professorial records of selected faculty and staff; selected records of alumni and the Alumni Association, and the records of university related organizations, clubs, and social and professional fraternities. Normally, University Archives does not acquire materials which are directly within the collecting sphere of other archives. It is the policy of University Archives to work co-operatively with other archives in acquisition and preservation of the University?s surrounding community.
The Archives' collections span from the University's inception in 1839, to the present.
Archival records are acquired from the university, from its departments and faculty, and from organizations and individuals outside the University regardless of their physical form or characteristics, and arranged, described and preserved to guarantee their authenticity and continuing use. If in the opinion of the University Archives, the materials should be preserved in a different physical form, such as microfilm or digital media, the University Archives may perform the necessary processes and operations.
University Archives is responsible for the long-term preservation of the material it acquires regardless of format or media. Preservation is accomplished by an appropriate combination of environmental controls, handling techniques, and conservation treatments. However, damaged, unstable, or obsolete formats may require data migration and removal of the originals. Material offered to, or solicited by, the Archives is appraised and acquired according to the acquisitions policy of the archives and the inherent potential of the material to support university teaching and research. Retrospective appraisal of acquisitions may lead to the subsequent de-accessioning of collections which no longer fit within the mandate of the archives. In the event of de-accessioning, attempts are made to identify alternate repositories for the collections and all prior agreements with donors are respected.
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