Harvard University Archives: Preserving the Past, Shaping the Future

1. 1636 – Harvard founded 1851 – “archives” are created 1879 - Harvard becomes a private institution 1939 - HUA officially established; “University record” is defined 1995 - Records Management Program established 2007 - First University websites harvested by HUA

2. Institutional Vision Statement The mission of Harvard College is to educate the citizens and citizen-leaders for our society. We do this through our commitment to the transformative power of a liberal arts and sciences education. Harvard University Archives Mission Statement The Harvard University Archives supports the University's mission of education and research by striving to preserve and provide access to Harvard's historical records; to gather an accurate, authentic, and complete record of the life of the University; and to promote the highest standards of management for Harvard's current records. Archival policy does not live in a vacuum

3. Harvard University Archives Collecting Policy The Harvard University Archives collects records (paper, visual and electronic), papers and manuscripts, publications, and other historical materials documenting the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard University from the 17th century to the present. The Archives serves as the principal repository for the institutional records of the University and faculty archives, including papers and manuscripts. The Archives seeks to document the faculty, students, and academic programs at the University, as well as Harvard’s central administration, its libraries, museums, research centers and affiliated organizations. The major collecting categories are: • Harvard University Records (Institutional Records) • Manuscripts and Personal Archives (Faculty, alumni, and student personal archives) • Associated Organization Records (Student and staff organizations; organizations affiliated with Harvard) • University Publications and Dissertations, Theses, and Prize Papers • Historical Materials (all the other stuff that relates to Harvard history….) For full details on the Harvard University Archives collecting areas, see the Harvard University Archives Collection Development Policy.

4. Institutional Archives Records Management Records Schedules Archival Transfers Outreach Relationship Maintenance Appraisal and Acquisition at HUA Personal Archives "Field Work“ Donor relations Gift agreements Outreach Relationship Maintenance

5. Appraisal: How we define “value” • Archival value is not equal to monetary value and vice versa • Administrative value • Legal value • Fiscal value • Evidentiary value • Intrinsic/historical value • Exhibit/visual value

6. Institutional Records 68

7. Institutional Records • What is Records Management Services? • Works primarily with Harvard offices and administrative staff in Central Administration and Academic Departments and Centers • Advises on risk, security, retention, and historical significance of records and historical property at Harvard • Teaches workshops on managing paper and electronic records • “Upfront appraisal” -- Create records schedules which include appraisal of different records series created by the institution, and advises on how long to keep them, and how to “dispose” of them • Facilitates secure destruction of institutional records • Archivists and records managers work together to transfer records to the Archives that are permanent of historical importance

9. Records Schedule Detail

10. Collection Development

11. Personal Archives • What is Collection Development at HUA? • Works primarily with Harvard faculty, alumni, students, affiliated organizations, and the general public to bring personal archives into the collection • Conducts research in potential collections and scholarly trends, reaches out to donors, collaborates other “curators” at Harvard to bring collections into our Libraries • Provides donors with information on donation process, negotiates gift agreements, advises donors on potential issues related to privacy and confidentiality, as well as University records policies and state and federal laws relating to their records • Primarily appraises collections “in the field;” gathers information from donors important to CS for cataloging and PS for providing access • Works with RMS to educate community about responsible record keeping practices

12. CDRMS Integrated Approach to Documenting Harvard • Consensus in mission on what we want/NEED to collect to fulfill your mission • Shared understanding of the services of both sides of (e.g. “not my department”) • Shared understanding of how institutional records and personal archives created in the Harvard community complement each other in fulfilling our mission • Focus on actively reaching out to key players in our administrative and intellectual community and identifying important places to find “the story within the story,” as well as how the whole story fits together • Awareness of trends in scholarship (research data); ability to pivot when needed • Nuanced understanding as to how policy and law (University, federal and state), intellectual property rights, and privacy and confidentiality issues may have an impact on what we can collect and make available • Working with CSPS to provide the best documentation we can about incoming collections to make their work just a wee bit easier

13. Shared Values

14. 10 things they never taught you ingraduate school • Wear dark, comfortable, presentable clothes and shoes • Bring a buddy, if you can • Bring/take your allergy medication • Be prepared for offers of food that you don’t like/eat • Have a “go bag” for packing and bring “personal” supplies • Tell someone on your staff where you will be and when you expect to be back • Bring your “sales kit” • Be prepared for unconventional or intrusive questions • Be prepared for unexpected emotional outbursts • Be kinder than you need to be, say thank you no matter what, and clean up after yourself

15. Collecting Policy • Defines areas and communities of documentation and collecting in more detail • Narrows and/or focuses the scope of what to collect • Allows for proactive instead of reactive collecting • Manages quantity and quality of acquisitions • Provides a shared understanding of collecting mission • Professionalizes the selection process to the “outside world” • Improves donor relations and ability to say “No, thank you” • Or helps you explain why you collected something controversial or unpleasant • Demonstrates success in documentation, in a manner that is accessible to resource allocators • Empowers to reappraise and deaccession!

16. Collecting Policy: Audience • Who does the archives exist to serve? • Administration (Corporate, Institutional) • Town, Community • Students, Faculty • Scholars, Specialists, Genealogists • All or a combination of the above? 25

17. Collecting Policies in Ten Steps Study institutional mission statement Analyze your collections; identify strengths and weaknesses Analyze collecting policies/strengths of other relevant repositories Analyze use of current collections Assess repository resources Discuss data broadly to determine meaning Draft/re-draft new mission and policy Review with stakeholders and obtain formal approval Make Public Implement 37