Modes of Collecting

The modes of collecting currently used include:

Gifts, Solicited and Unsolicited

The Hay accepts gifts of collections material that are aligned with its strategic collecting directions or are otherwise determined to be useful for teaching or research. Gifts must be approved by the John Hay Library Acquisitions Committee and/or the Associate University Librarian for Special Collections. The Hay encourages, but does not require, financial support for collections to offset the costs of processing, long-term storage and preservation, digitization efforts, researcher access, classroom use, and other stewardship costs.

Purchase

In some circumstances, acquisitions of high significance for the collection development strategy may also occur through the purchase of items or collections selected from dealers, auctions, and from private individuals or organizations.

Post-custodial Collection Stewardship

The Hay recognizes that it may not always be the appropriate physical steward for material. Communities, individuals, or other groups may wish to retain physical control and ensure local accessibility for material that is of high cultural value. In these cases, the Hay will work with the community, individual, or group to determine a mutually beneficial plan, which can include digital surrogates, collections processing, preservation techniques, data curation, and increased access or other models of shared stewardship.

Transfer from University Offices and Departments

The University Archives serves as the institutional memory of Brown University by collecting, preserving, and making accessible materials that provide evidence of past University actions and contribute to an understanding of the University’s structure and its history. The Records Retention schedule contains detailed information about the disposition of University records, including the length of their retention. Records with enduring legal, fiscal, historical, or administrative value are transferred to the University Archives with approval from the University Archivist.

University Archives staff are available to assist with evaluating records for transfer to the Archives. For more information contact us at archives@brown.edu.