Purpose

Established in 2012 and housed in Cowles Library, the Drake University Archives and Special Collections serves as the final repository for the historical records of Drake University. Its primary purpose is to document the history of the University and to provide source material for administrators, faculty, students, alumni, and members of the community, as well as scholars, authors, and other interested persons who seek to evaluate the impact of the University’s activities.

Collecting Scope

The University Archives and Special Collections is responsible for the collection, preservation, management, and access of records of enduring value for research and reference use.

The University Archives contain non-current records of Drake University that have lasting administrative, legal, or historical value. It also houses the Political Papers Collection, which consists of the congressional papers of senators and members of the House of Representatives from Iowa as well as records documenting Iowa politics.

Special Collections consist primarily of rare and special printed materials that hold long-term, historical research potential for academic programs. The collections support a broad range of research and teaching activities in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

The following are areas of collecting interest for the University Archives and Special Collections:

University Archives

1. Administrative Units and Academic Departmental Records: Official records, papers, and publications generated or received by the administrative offices of Drake University in their operations and activities.
2. Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Papers: Personal and professional papers of faculty, alumni, or staff.
3. Student Organizational Records: Records documenting the creation, development, priorities, and activities of student organizations.
4. Drake Affiliated Organizational Records: Papers of individuals or organizations not directly connected with Drake, but where the subject matter of the collection is particularly relevant to the history of Drake University.
5. Other Collecting Areas 
   • Political and Social History Records of Des Moines and Iowa: Papers from individuals or organizations where the subject matter of the collection relates to the political or social history of Des Moines, the greater Des Moines area, and Iowa, including records that document Iowa politics and the life and public service of Iowa Congressional public figures.

Special Collections

1. Faculty and Alumni Publications
2. Science Fiction Books
3. Art Books
4. Graphic Novels

Records Accepted

The Archives and Special Collections will accept non-current (inactive) University records having permanent, historical value. These records may include:

• Administrative: Annual reports, executive policies & decisions, documents, correspondence, etc.
• Budgets/Acquisitions
• Committees/Councils: Minutes, reports, memoranda, correspondence, etc.
• Faculty/Staff: Vitae, reports, correspondence, curriculum/course syllabi; general review/promotion/tenure processes; organizational charts.
• Facility: Documents, correspondence related to additions/renovations; construction contracts; architectural renderings/plans/blueprints.
• Statistics/Surveys
• Publications: Internally published handbooks, newsletters, manuals; news articles about the department or its faculty/staff.
• Marketing/Publicity: Press releases, posters, brochures, invitations, or programs documenting department events.
• Media: Photographs, negatives, slides, DVDs, or VHS tapes recording department events.
• Awards: Department/Office plaques or certificates.

Electronic Records

Acceptable File Types and Formats for Born-Digital & Digitized Records

File types may include the following:

• Textual
• Sound
• Image
• Video
• Email

File formats may include the following:

Born-Digital Text Document

Digitized/Scanned Text Document

Image

Sound

Video

Email

Records Not Accepted

The Archives and Special Collections will NOT accept records that fall outside our collecting scope or fit into the following categories:

1. Materials in a format which requires special, outdated, or antiquated equipment to access and/or if the library does not already own such equipment and purchase of equipment would be prohibitively expensive.
2. Materials of a size which the Archives cannot accommodate.
3. Materials that are irreparably damaged, infested by insects or mold, or require costly preservation.

Records not accepted include but are not limited to the following:

• Personnel files
• Personal planners/calendars
• Canceled checks
• Bank statements or receipts
• Tax-related files – anything with Social Security numbers on it
• Personal salary information

Gifts and Donations

Any collection accepted commits University Archives & Special Collections to the organization and preservation of the collection, which involves labor and costs for archival supplies. Donors are encouraged to include a monetary donation to fund the cost of processing and preserving their materials.

When a donation is accepted, a deed of gift must be signed.

Due to limited staffing, budget, and space, all donations or gifts are subject to review by the Director of Archives and Special Collections and may be declined.

Deselection Criteria

• Does the material fall within the scope of current collecting policies?
• Has the material deteriorated beyond usefulness?
• Do any externally imposed restrictions, such as records retention authorizations or donor agreements, apply to the material?

Material to be deaccessioned may be returned to the donor, gifted to a more appropriate repository, or discarded.