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Donation and Transfer Guidelines

These guidelines provide criteria and instructions for preparing documents for transfer to the ALA Archives. Please contact the University of Illinois Archives via e-mail or at (217) 333-0798 with any additional questions or for assistance in preparing files for transfer.

Material should be transferred in the order which the creator maintained it. Both official records and personal papers of ALA officers and members area appropriate for transfer. A letter briefly identifying the material and describing the activity and ALA Unit to which it relates should accompany the shipment. Please contact the Archives to alert us to impending arrivals of material.

All information formats (e.g., published, typescript, audio-visual, and electronic data, such as computer disks and files) are appropriate for consideration for transfer. For documents in formats requiring any machine intervention, such as videotapes, kinescopes, and all computer files, consideration should be given to transferring the equipment needed to access the documents or, preferably, converting the documents to a format accessible to the Archives' users. Early consultation with the Archivist is strongly encouraged for all such materials.

Materials should be sent to:
      University of Illinois Archives
      Room 19 Library
      1408 W. Gregory Drive
      Urbana, IL 61801

      Phone: (217) 333-0798

TRANSFER CRITERIA

WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T THROW IT OUT!!!!!

Items to be transferred include:

  1. Official records: constitutions and by-laws, minutes and proceedings, transcripts, lists of officers and members;

  2. Office files: correspondence and memoranda (incoming and outgoing) and subject files concerning projects, activities and functions;

  3. Historical files documenting policies, decisions, committee and task force reports, questionnaires;

  4. Publications: one record copy of all programs, journals, monographs, newsletters, brochures, posters and announcements issued by the association or its subdivisions;

  5. Audio-visuals: photographs and sound recordings;

  6. Personal papers of members which relate directly to association work; for personal papers not directly related to ALA work, please consult the Archives prior to transfer.

  7. Charts and maps.

Records which SHOULD NOT BE TRANSFERRED to the Archives include:

  1. Records of specific financial and membership transactions;

  2. Letters of transmittal where the date and routing information is on the document transmitted;

  3. Requests for publications or information after the requests have been filled;

  4. All blank forms and unused printed or duplicated materials;

  5. All duplicate material: keep only the original copy and annotated copies;

  6. Papers, reports, work papers and drafts; which have been published;

  7. Replies to questionnaires if the results are recorded and preserved either in the archives or in a published report.

These criteria are intended as a general guide. If there are questions about records not listed here or questions about the retention or disposal of specific records or manuscripts, please contact the University of Illinois Archives at (217) 333-0798.