Penn State University Archives

Records Management

Penn State University Archives role in Records Management

What are Historical and Archival Records? We create records to remember and to communicate information. Usually the information we record gradually becomes less important to save. Thus, most records can and should be discarded within a few years of their creation. However there is a small percentage of any person’s or institution’s records whose information continues to be useful to society long into the future. Such records may be letters, reports, or other types of written documents, or they may be audiotapes, videotapes, maps/blueprints, photographs, computer data, or any of a myriad of formats. These records are referred to as historical and archival. The determination that a record has historical or archival value rests not on the form of the record, but rather on the fact that it contains information of enduring administrative, legal, fiscal, or cultural value to the creating institutions or to researchers. The benefits these records provide to us depend on our ability to retain them in useable condition. What records are collected by the University Archives? This simple question has a rather complicated answer. Fundamentally, any record or piece of information which can help explain or document the life and work of an individual/organization should be considered for archival transfer and deposit.

Listed below are some general categories of materials which could have potential research value as archives. These are only suggestions and there may well be other types of archival records for which you are responsible that are not listed. If you have any questions or need more information, contact either Jackie Esposito or Robyn Dyke at 865- 7931. Correspondence (In organizations, particularly of officers) Charter, ByLaws, or Constitution Legal Documents Minutes of Meetings Reports of Committees and Records of their activities Annual Reports Position Papers One copy of every Publication Testimony before Legislative or Investigative Bodies Membership Records Photographs, Scrapbooks, Albums Articles about Person/Organization Writings Addresses, Speeches, and Talks Diaries and Journals Moving Image and Sound (Films, Videotapes, Audiotapes) Reminiscences or Interview Transcripts and Tapes Funded Research Proposals and Project Documentation

For more information contact:
Jackie Esposito or Robyn Dyke
University Records Management Program
104 Paterno Library
University Park, PA 16802-1800

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