Students, Alumni,Staff & Faculty:Secure Your History in IWU’s Archives

A public service announcement by

University Archivist Meg

Miner

What is the University Archives?

IWU’s historical collections dating from 1850-today. The office charged with collecting and preserving the history of our

university and its people, and with advising our campus community about the same.

A resource for student, alumni, staff, faculty and the larger community seeking to explore unique historical, genealogical and educational opportunities.

Home to people who can help you research questions on all sorts of historical topics.

A place on The Ames Library’s 4th floor.

We look a little formal but we’re really all about you!

What we collectEvidence of a group’s purpose and achievements

Constitutions, charters, and by-laws 

Minutes and reports of meetings, policies and member lists 

1850: IWU “Birth Certificate”

1932: First Senate Constitution that we have a copy of. The “Student Union” was the group’s name when founded in 1915.

What we collectProducts that demonstrate a group’s work

Publications like reports,  journals, newsletters, brochures, programs

Substantive correspondence of officers/administrators

Course syllabi

Organizational histories

 

  

Audio-visuals: photographs, films (ask for file size advice)

Artifacts and memorabilia (in limited quantities)

What we collectEvidence of individuals’ work (collected or created)Honors’ and peer-reviewed conference projects, class news

Scrapbooks (e- or print, documenting a group or a person’s IWU experience)

Audio-visuals: photographs, films (ask for file size advice)

Artifacts and memorabilia (in limited quantities)

What we don’t need

Records of specific financial transactions. Routine messages of transmittal and

acknowledgment. Non-personally addressed correspondence such as

“Dear Student Leader” (except for one record copy from the issuing office).

Replies to questionnaires if the results are recorded and preserved either in the Archives or in a published report.

Blank forms Plaques or trophies

How you can help1. Document your activities: keep minutes of meetings, save copies of publications and flyers, save just a few photographs --you decide what’s representative/significant.

2. Unnamed files are at risk! Label your materials with full names, dates, and descriptions of events or circumstances. Use descriptive e-content names that start with dates: YYYY-MM-DD_{event_or_person_name}.  Don’t use spaces in file names or characters like ‘ , “ & % !

3. Keep your records together in one central place.

4. Develop a straightforward filing system that works for you.  

5. Electronic records can pose software and hardware access problems over time, so develop a routine of transferring inactive records to the University Archives at the end of the semester, year, or leader's term of office. 

9. WHEN IN DOUBT, DON'T THROW IT OUT! Contact your archivist first

Our Motto:"kNOw records, kNOw

history"

Preserving Your History for the Future!

Contact your archivist Meg Miner x1538; mminer@iwu.edu  

Located in Tate Archives & Special Collections, Room 401, of The Ames Library.