Collection Development Policy

Mission

The College Archives collects and preserves materials documenting the activities of administrators, students, faculty, and staff. It serves as an educational resource for the Middlebury Community and beyond.

Collecting areas

Administration

Records and materials produced by the Board of Trustees; Office of the President; Senior Leadership Group (SLG); administrative offices including Athletics, Facilities, Middlebury Libraries, and other offices and services

• Records documenting policy and procedures
• Records documenting events and activities
• Correspondence
• Agendas and meeting minutes
• Reports
• Office/departmental publications
• Email correspondence ( SLG and other administrators identified by College Archivist)
• Digital files (SLG and other identified administrators identified by College Archivist)
• Oral histories
• Office/department-produced websites and social media

Schools and programs

Records and materials produced during the administration of Middlebury’s schools and programs including the Summer Language Schools; Bread Loaf School of English; Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference; School of the Environment; C.V. Starr Schools Abroad; and the Institute of International Studies at Monterey

• Records documenting policy and procedures
• Records documenting events and activities
• Correspondence
• Agendas and meeting minutes
• Reports
• School/Conference publications
• Email correspondence (administrators identified by College Archivist)
• Oral histories
• School and program produced-websites and social media

Faculty and staff

Records and materials documenting teaching and activities/work at Middlebury

• Papers (correspondence, lecture notes, etc.) accepted at the discretion of the College Archivist
  • Criteria for acquisition of faculty papers
    • National/international reputation in academic field
    • Record of service to Middlebury
    • Record of service and contribution in community, state, or national affairs
• Committee files and meeting minutes
• Photographs and video 
• Faculty and staff-produced websites
• Syllabi
• Oral histories

Academic departments

• Records documenting policy and procedures
• Records documenting events and activities
• Committee files and meeting minutes
• Photographs and video documenting departmental activities
• Reports

Students

Records and materials documenting curricular and co-curricular activities of students during their time at Middlebury

• Selected coursework (accepted at the discretion of the College Archivist)
• Selected theses (accepted at the discretion of the College Archivist)
• Student newspapers, magazines, and other publications
• Records and materials (including websites and social media) produced by student clubs and organizations
• Student-produced zines, photographs, scrapbooks, videos, podcasts 
• Journals and diaries documenting time at Middlebury
• Posters and crush lists
• Oral histories

Alumni

Records and materials documenting curricular and co-curricular activities of alumni during their time at Middlebury

• Selected coursework (accepted at the discretion of the College Archivist)
• Selected theses (accepted at the discretion of the College Archivist)
• Student newspapers, magazines, and other publications
• Records and materials (including websites and social media) produced by student clubs and organizations
• Student-produced zines, photographs, scrapbooks, videos, podcasts 
• Journals and diaries documenting time at Middlebury
• Oral histories

Materials the College Archives does not accept

With some exceptions, the College Archives does not accept materials outside of our collection policy, including:

• Non-Middlebury publications and records
• Alumni materials unrelated to Middlebury produced during post-Middlebury years
• Faculty research files
• Published materials (including books by faculty and alumni)
• Three-dimensional objects and artwork better suited for museum displays
• Trophies, plaques, and awards
• Multiple copies/duplicates of items already in our collections
• Student records (grades, exams, transcripts, graded assignments)
• Personnel records or documents with Personal Identifiable Information
• Materials to which access is restricted in perpetuity or for a period of time beyond a reasonable limitation

Acquisitions

• The College Archives acquires materials through transfer, donation, bequest, or exchange (usually with another institution)
• Materials acquired by the College Archives should meet the following conditions: 
  • Materials fall within the scope of the College Archives Collections Development Policy
  • The donor signs a deed of gift transferring ownership to Special Collections
  • For larger donations and bequests, the donor has provided a detailed inventory describing the:
    • Contents (creator, subject matter, etc.)
    • Extent size (number of boxes, digital files, linear feet, etc.)
    • Physical condition of the materials
• Materials added to the College Archives should be accessioned promptly upon receipt

Deaccessions

• To effectively maintain our collections, Special Collections may transfer ownership or discard duplicate materials, as well as materials which do not fall under the scope of our collection policy
• Materials selected for deaccessioning must meet at least one of the following criteria:
  • Materials do not fall within scope of collection policy
  • Materials are duplicates of materials already in the collection
  • Materials can no longer be maintained or preserved by the College Archives
  • Materials have deteriorated or degraded beyond use, and cannot be repaired, exhibited, or used by classes and researchers

Trustee mandate

Approved unanimously by the Board of Trustees May 13, 2017

The Archives, as mandated by the Board of Trustees, determines which institutional records will be transferred to and permanently retained by the Archives for administrative, historical, and research use. Records created in the course of Middlebury’s business, whether at Middlebury College, Middlebury Language Schools, Middlebury Schools Abroad, Bread Loaf School of English, the School of the Environment, or the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, are the property of Middlebury. The Archives will collaborate with the creators and managers of institutional records to identify permanent and non-permanent records, establish a management plan including transfer to the archives, and provide access to those records as appropriate. This imperative has recently become more complex in the context of electronic records: the storage media have short life spans, and electronic data are inherently subject to corruption, to problems in access, and to functional obsolescence.