TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Mission and Goals
3. Implementation
4. Subject Scope
5. Description of the Collections
6. Acquisition of Material

The Department of Archives & Special Collections of the William F. Maag, Jr. Library (Maag Library) of Youngstown State University (YSU) serve two distinct functions. Archives serves as the official and final repository for the historical records of Youngstown State University (previously known as Youngstown College) from its establishment in 1908 to the present time. The Special Collections serve as an archival repository for historical materials which are neither official university records nor faculty papers, but which relate to the history of the geographical region of which YSU is a part. This includes the city of Youngstown, the Mahoning County and the Mahoning Valley.

The YSU Archives & Special Collections is governed by our Collection Development Policy. The policy was written to offer guidance to the Archivist/Special Collections Librarian in making decisions about whether or not material is appropriate for the collection. It is based on the Society of American Archivists' Guidelines for College and University Archives (1999). Many parts of this manual are taken from that document.

The Department of Archives & Special Collections takes its mission from the mission of the University, which is to educate. More specifically, the mission of the Department of Archives & Special Collections is twofold. The Archives collect, preserve, and provide access to the official, inactive records of YSU, which includes materials in any format that were generated or received by any of YSU's various administrative divisions and academic departments in the conduct of their daily business. The Special Collections collect, preserve, and provide access to primary and secondary source materials that document the history of the larger city-county-regional area of which YSU is a part. The Department of Archives & Special Collections supports this mission in the following manner:

• By supporting and enabling the administration which provides and maintains the overall structure.
• By determining what evidence is essential, ensuring that the institution creates such evidence, and making that evidence accessible to users regardless of location or format.
• By preserving essential evidence of the institution.
• By providing information that promotes the mission of the institution internally and to the extended community.
• By supporting teaching and enhancing the curriculum as appropriate.
• By supporting the research of the faculty, students, and other scholars through access to information.
• By promoting further understanding through discovery and dissemination of knowledge.

The basic goal of the YSU Archives & Special Collections is to aid the institution in its survival and growth by supporting the University's education mission. To fulfill the responsibilities of that role the Archives & Special Collections have the following goals:

• To acquire or identify records of long-term historical, evidential, legal, fiscal, and administrative value to YSU as well as those records that document the history of the city-county-regional area, and to preserve and provide access to them so that the archives is visible as a resource that promotes knowledge and efficient operation of the University and supports and nourishes teaching and learning at YSU and in the wider intellectual community.
• To appraise, collect, organize, describe, make available, and preserve primary and secondary resource materials emphasizing the documentation of YSU and the larger city-county-regional area.
• To provide adequate facilities for the retention and preservation of such records.
• To serve as a resource to stimulate and nourish creative teaching and learning through the use of primary research materials and provide instruction in the use of those materials.
• To serve research and scholarship by making available and encouraging the use of its collections by members of the University and the public at large.
• To disseminate research and information concerning the documentary heritage of the University and the region.
• To implement records management by formulating policy and procedures that will ensure the collection and preservation of University archival materials.
• To support the educational objectives of YSU and the broad mission and program objectives of Maag Library.
• To serve a broad clientele, with special emphasis on the academic community of the University and particular concern for the population of the larger city-county-regional area.
• To acquire strong primary source collections which document regional life and development of the city, county, and region to sustain significant research projects based upon this documentation.

The Department of Archives & Special Collections will fulfill its mission and goals by focusing both the tangible and service components of the program on meeting these responsibilities. This means that:

• Acquisition decisions will be based on professional appraisal standards.
• Arrangement and description of materials will employ responsible professional practices and adapt them appropriately to the needs and culture of the institution.
• Facilities for storage, use, and service will provide a physical environment that protects the full range of the Archives' record materials, and assures security from misuse and theft.
• The Archives' preservation, arrangement, and individual conservation procedures will employ current professional standards.
• Staff will facilitate access to materials, and provide information that will ensure teaching and learning will support the institution's operation.
• Staff and records will constitute a resource that promotes knowledge and understanding of the institution's origins, mission, and goals; and contributes to its ongoing development through a range of services and by fostering and facilitating records management and information resource programs.
• The Department will publicize their resources to encourage their use by members of the institution and by the intellectual community beyond it to support the curriculum, stimulate teaching, and serve research, scholarship, and intellectual exploration.
• Archival programs will remain flexible in adapting the rapidly changing institutional environment and maintain a technologically current environment.

1. The primary subject emphasis of the Department is the collection and retention of source material that documents the history of YSU as a provider of higher education since its founding. The YSU Archives attempts to collect as comprehensively as possible those records that have enduring value to documenting the history of YSU, it programs, services, and constituencies. Only those records with historical or administrative value are identified and retained permanently in order to provide information for administrators, faculty, students, alumni, and other members of the University community, as well as scholars, researchers, and other persons who are interested in the University's history.



2. The secondary subject emphasis of the Department is the collection and retention of carefully selected materials that document the history of the geographical area of which YSU is a part.

1. Archives


Archives are the non-current records of the parent organization or institution. Examples of the YSU Archives include:


1. Official Records, Papers, and Publications of Youngstown State University
   
   The official records encompass those records or papers generated or received by the various administrative offices of YSU in the conduct of University business which are preserved for their enduring value. Official records include:
   
   
   1. Minutes, memoranda, correspondence and reports of the Board of Trustees.
   2. Records of the President's office including official correspondence, presidential speeches, administrative subject files, commencement programs, and reports of the President's Office and the entities such as the Administrative Units and Committees reporting to the President.
   3. Correspondence, subject files, and reports of the Office of Academic Affairs.
   4. Correspondence, subject files, and reports of the offices of central administration: Administration, External Affairs, Finance, General Counsel and Secretary of the University, Student Affairs, and University Relations.
   5. Correspondence, subject files, and reports of deans, directors and administrators of the schools, colleges, divisions, programs and institutes of the University.
   6. Minutes, memoranda and reports of all major academic and administrative commissions, councils and committees including the University Senate and its committees.
   7. Departmental records: minutes, reports, correspondence, and syllabi.
   8. Accreditation reports and supporting documentation.
   9. Annual budget and audit reports.
   10. Records of the Registrar, including timetables, class schedules, enrollment reports, graduation rosters and other reports issued on a regular basis.
   11. Alumni records, including minutes of the alumni associations.
   12. Reports of the Admissions Office.
   13. Records of student organizations.
   14. All publications, newsletters and booklets distributed in the name of YSU, including catalogs, special bulletins, yearbooks, student newspapers, University directories and faculty/staff rosters, faculty and administrative newsletters and publications, alumni publications and ephemeral material.
   15. Photographs, prints, negatives, slides, audio and video film, tapes and reels, oral history interviews, and optical and compact discs documenting the development of the University.
   16. Security copies of microfilm reels containing vital records.
   17. Maps, prints and architectural drawings documenting the physical changes and development of the University.
   18. Artifacts relating to the history of YSU.
   19. Electronic records.

   The official administrative records of YSU (correspondence, reports and subject files) designated as archival should be inactive and no longer used in the current activities of the originating office. Records should be forwarded to the Archives according to schedule after consulting with the Head of Archives & Special Collections for the orderly transfer of non-current materials. The originating office may place restrictions on access to non-current records in addition to the restrictions on administrative, Board of Trustees, employee and student records described in the Access Policy statement (Appendix 1).

2. Professional Papers of YSU Faculty

As an important part of its mission of documenting the internal life and culture of the YSU community and placing it in a broader societal context, the Archives actively seeks to acquire, organize, and make available the professional papers of the YSU faculty. Faculty papers offer insight into the history of the operation of the University that otherwise may be lost by relying only on official administrative records. They reveal professional interests and opinions that frequently clarify matters mentioned in the official records of the University administration. Faculty papers document the academic life of the University and relate a faculty member's academic career to his or her total interests, thereby constituting an important record.

The Department is committed to preserving selected faculty papers and to making them available for research as soon as possible. At the same time, it has a certain obligation to guard against invasion of privacy and to protect the confidentiality of its records in accordance with the law. Therefore, every private donor has the right to impose reasonable restrictions upon his or her papers to protect confidentiality for a reasonable period of time as determined by mutual agreement between the donor and the Head of Archives & Special Collections. Restrictions on access are for a fixed term and are determined at the time of donation. The Archives does not accept agreements that restrict access to material for the lifetime of any person or persons or agreements that are difficult or impossible to administer. It encourages minimal access restrictions consistent with the legal rights of all concerned.

The available storage space and staff of the YSU Archives & Special Collections place limitations on the extent of collecting faculty papers. While attempting to acquire a broad range of professional papers, the Archives must be selective. The following criteria are applied when evaluating and soliciting professional papers from the faculty:

1. National or international reputation in one's academic field.
2. Record of one's service with YSU and contribution to its growth and development.
3. Service and contribution in the community, state, and national affairs.

The following types of documentation reflect and illuminate the careers of YSU faculty and are sought by the Archives:

1. Correspondence-official and professional.
2. Records relating to service outside the University including community, state, and national service.
3. Biographical material-biographical sketches, resumes, bibliographies, chronologies, genealogies, newspaper clippings, and personal memoirs.
4. Photographs and graphic materials.
5. Audiotape or videotape recordings of lectures, speeches, and discussions.
6. Class lecture notes and syllabi.
7. Research files.
8. Departmental or committee minutes and records.
9. Drafts and manuscripts of articles and books written.
10. Diaries, notebooks, appointment calendars, and memorabilia.


2. Special Collections

Special Collections are "specialized" collections that are kept separate from the regular stock of the library because they are unique due to age, rarity, value, condition or historical importance and therefore require "special" attention. Special Collections usually consist of rare books and manuscripts. The Department will solicit and collect records and papers which are neither official University records nor faculty papers, but which relate to the history of YSU or the geographic area of which YSU is a part. Examples include:

1. Published or unpublished materials on YSU and its role in the history of higher education in Ohio.
2. Professional papers of eminent alumni relating to their experiences at YSU.
3. Records of local or regional businesses or corporations.
4. Personal papers of a regional or local individual eminent in any field of endeavor.
5. Rare books.


The following categories of rare books are collected or removed from the general stacks and deposited in the Special Collections, which are non-circulating materials:


1. Books that have particular relevance for local history and culture, for example:
• Signed first editions of works by local authors, artists and photographers.
• Published works by YSU graduates and faculty.
• All books on all aspects of life in Youngstown, Ohio, the Mahoning County, and the Mahoning Valley.
• Historical and other works dealing with the local area and its culture.
• Historical and other works that relate directly to YSU and its predecessor institutions.


2. Books of such a nature that they are at risk of theft or mutilation, referred to as Closed Collections materials.
3. Books of such monetary value that they would be impossible to replace.
4. Books requiring special handling due to fragility, condition, or format.
5. Books, which, due to their value as a group, need to be kept together.
6. Books of special value that relate to the institution's curriculum.


3. Archives Reference Collection


The University Archives Reference Collection includes vertical subject files, biographical directories, archival manuals and publications, copies of books and publications by faculty members, duplicate yearbooks, repository guides, and finding aids and inventories to materials related to YSU that are housed in other repositories.

1. The Head of Archives & Special Collections has the primary responsibility for the collection development of the Archives & Special Collections.



2. The Head of Archives & Special Collections encourages the involvement of YSU administration, Maag Library staff, History Department faculty, the Youngstown State University Foundation, the Youngstown State University Alumni Association, YSU community, regional community, and Archives & Special Collections patrons in collection development efforts.



3. Archives & Special Collections materials are normally acquired in the following manner:



1. Donation - Donation of materials is both an active process of soliciting for particular materials and a passive process of accepting materials that are brought into the Archives. The Archives both encourages donation of materials to the Archives and actively solicits for particular materials. It is the Archives' policy to encourage donation of materials that are in keeping with the subject scope of the Archives & Special Collections collection. The Head of Archives & Special Collections may accept gifts of materials with mixed historical value if he/she has the right to discard or otherwise remove unwanted items.
   
   All donations must be represented on a Legal Donor Form (See Appendix 2), which includes a description of the materials; name, address and signature of donor; date of donation; description of any restriction son the use of the donation; and signature of the Head of Archives & Special Collections.
   
   Donations that carry stringent donor restrictions may not be accepted. The Head of Archives & Special Collections will determine that the donor has, in fact, the right to make the donation, and that the donation is not encumbered by ethical and legal problems such as authenticity.
   
   
2. Transfer of custody - Custodial transfer is the means by which the Department of Archives & Special Collections acquires most university records. Custodial transfer applies only to public records in which legal custody has transferred from one office to another.



3. Purchase - Purchase of manuscript and archival materials is normally discouraged. If a significant collection becomes available only through purchase, such an acquisition must be considered on its own merits. It is important to note that purchase of such materials tends to discourage donations by other potential donors. If more than one institution is involved in bidding for materials, the needs of the patrons may be subverted. For these reasons, purchase of materials is generally limited to commercially published materials only.



4. Deposit - Materials on deposit in the Department of Archives & Special Collections must be covered in a contractual agreement between the University or Archives and the depositing agency. Collections may be deposited in the Department if a contractual deposit agreement has been established and approved by the Head of Archives & Special Collections and the Executive Director of Maag Library. Any such collections must be useful to the university and region within the Department of Archives & Special Collections collection scope.


4. Appraisal
   
   Appraisal is the basis for selecting records and papers that are to be retained in the Department of Archives & Special Collections. Archival Appraisal has been defined as the process of evaluating actual or potential acquisitions to determine if they have sufficient long-term research value to warrant the expense of processing and preserving the collection by the archival repository. Careful appraisal of potential collections is of primary importance in eliminating unwanted materials and unnecessary growth. Before materials are accepted into the Department of Archives & Special Collections, the University Head of Archives & Special Collections will conduct a careful appraisal of the materials as a group. Preliminary and subsequent weeding of a record or manuscript group occurs as the materials are being processed. Processing involves further appraisal/weeding, arrangement, description, storage and conservation.



5. Restrictions on Archival Records
   
   Records that may violate the right to privacy of students or personnel as delineated in the Freedom of Information Act, Ohio Freedom of Information Act, the Federal Records Retention Act, and the Ohio Records Retention Act will not be accepted by the Department of Archives & Special Collections.



6. Ownership of Archival Records
   
   YSU shall hold title to its non-current records of historical value. These records will be acquired through custodial transfer from various offices either by way of approved records retention schedules or ad hoc transfer of records to the Department of Archives & Special Collections. Papers of individual family and alumni will be acquired through legal donation. The Department of Archives & Special Collections reserves the right to dispose of materials that do not fit within the mission and goals of the Department of Archives & Special Collections.