University Archives Holdings:Institutional and Private Records

Karen Buckley & Regina Landwehr

Training Tuesday

12 December 2006

University Archives - Mandate

• Manage and preserve university records

• Document wider university community

• Support research and teaching

University Archives - History

• 1971 – temporary storage of archival material in vault in Library Tower

• 1981- Archives established by Board of Governor policy

• 1983 – first University Archivist hired• 1996 - Information Management Program

established in anticipation of FOIP (1999)

University Archives – Holdings Stats

• Permanent holdings – 220 fonds = 12,400 boxes = 2,600 meters (7,800 feet).

• 50% stored off-campus.• Predominant dates – 1966-1995.• Oldest holding - 1906 class photo of Normal

School.• Youngest holdings - current year theses, reports,

campus and student newspapers.• Most popular – theses, photographs, course

outlines, calendars and yearbooks.

Where do I find archival holdings?

• Archives main page

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/

• Holdings

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/Holdings.htm

How are archival records organized?

• Fonds is the total of records produced by a unit in carrying out its mandated activities and preserved.

• Original order of records and contextual relationship between records and creator is preserved.

• Records are arranged and described hierarchically within a fonds – fonds > record series > file > item.

Finding Aids - Archival Descriptions

• Example: Advisor to the President on Women’s Issues fonds http://asalive.archivesalberta.org:8080/access/asa/archaa/display/UOFC-1377

• Fonds level descriptions - Administrative history/biography of creator- Creation dates of material, - Physical extent, - Scope and content of the records, - Finding aids – e.g. file lists- Restrictions.

Holdings – Finding Aids

• Catalogue of Holdings – ANA (Archives Network of Alberta): filtered view of

UofC Archives holdings

http://asalive.archivesalberta.org:8080/access/uofc/archaa@uofc

Institutional Records – Digitized Content

• Textual records

http://asalive.archivesalberta.org:8080/access/uofc/documents@uofc

Institutional Records - Digitized Content

• Thematic databases and exhibits

– Collection of Honorary Degree Recipients

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/honorary/home.html

– Order of the University of Calgary Collection

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/order/home.html

– 40 Years of Autonomy: 1966-2006

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/autonomy/home.html

Institutional Records – Digitized Content

• Images

– Photobank

http://archive.ucalgary.ca:591/ImageBank/

– InSight - filtered view of UofC holdings in ASA database

http://asalive.archivesalberta.org:8080/access/uofc/photo@uofc

Institutional Records – Theses

• Thesis on-line database under construction, archives staff will do searches on request

• Paper copies – five years & younger accessible in Archives same day – older ones off-site, 1-2 days retrieval– Copy fees: 25 cents/page

• Microfiched copies in library 3rd floor MLT• Digitized copies available in PDF

– ProQuest Digital Dissertations– Thesis Canada

• Copyright

Institutional Records - Report Collection

• Generated by university units

• Types:– Annual reports– Department/ Unit reports– Analysis/ Study reports– Committee/ Task Force reports

• Searchable database to be placed on Archives website this month.

Accessing Institutional Holdings

• Reading Room 12th floor MLT

• 1-2 days retrieval for off-site records

• Public domain records are open

• 25 year closure period for some

• 20 cents a page copy fees

Private Records at the University Archives

Private Records – Faculty Papers

These records:• Document research, teaching, service.• Complement the operational records of the

University.– 3 fonds from past presidents– 47 fonds from past and current faculty members

• Reflect disciplines across the spectrum. • Reflect diversity of research interests

Faculty personnel vs. Faculty Office

President’s Office fonds:Fonds consists of annual reports (1966-1996), academic

staff annual publication record (1973-1993); correspondence with University staff, associations and faculties, records on endowment and fund development, correspondence with the provincial government and other Universities, general administration files (1984-2002), records on property management and research (1950-1987); subject files (1984-1997); files relating to the Canadian Centre for Learning Systems (1983-1988), Student Personnel Services Task Force minutes and correspondence (1979-1980).

Faculty Personnel vs. Faculty Office

President Norman Wagner:Fonds consist of records created and accumulated

by Norman Wagner. Fonds includes correspondence, photographs, newspaper articles and clippings, speeches, memoirs, publications and material pertaining to his career as University of Calgary president, President and Chairman of Alberta Energy Company and his activities after his retirement. Also includes Wagner's Bachelor of Divinity thesis and Ph.D. thesis.

Policy for Acquisition – Record Types

Records generated via:• Pedagogy• Research• Professional involvement• Administrative or membership involvement• Political or cultural interest activities• Student organizations and government

Policy for Acquisition – Faculty Papers

Criteria:• Long service to the University• International reputation• Significant record of activity• Significant contribution to the University• Significant contribution to the community

Examples of Faculty Papers

Access fonds level descriptions at:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/archives.html– Click on Holdings, and then Private Records

Dixon Thompson

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/FondLevelDescriptions/dThompson.html

Thomas Flanagan

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/FondLevelDescriptions/FlanaganFonds.html

Private Records – Student Organizations

Examples of fonds received are:• Students’ Union• Graduate Students’ Association• Student Law Society• Engineering Students’ Society• Sigma Xi, University of Calgary Chapter

Private Records – Student Organizations

Students’ Union:Fonds consists of correspondence, club activities and reports regarding various

Students' Union concerns (see file list for 91-008), Students' Legislative Council minutes (1959-1981), constitutions (1949-1981), financial records (1951-1979), Academic Commission minutes (1973-1984), Executive minutes (1972-1984), finance Commission minutes (1969-1984, 1997-2000)), Internal Affairs Commission minutes (1968), Programming Commission minutes (1973-1984), files from elections (1995-1998), liaison with off-campus associations and societies (1990-1998), and minutes (1986-2000). Includes yearbooks (1947-1996/7), Tallystick photographs illustrating yearbook sections on student involvement on campus, campus events, fine arts on campus, campus sports and the Olympics (1986-1992); student telephone directories (1956-1999), Students' Union handbooks (1949/50, 1956/57, 1960-1964), Students' Union course guides (1968-1985), administrative records including President, VPA, and VP Finance among others (1974-1998), and ephemera regarding student elections, clubs, and campus events.

Private Records – ‘Other’ - Calgary Normal School

• Calgary Normal School fonds

• Complemented by:– Ethel King-Shaw fonds– Helen Stadelbauer fonds

Private Records – ‘Other’ - Photographs

• Calgary Herald Photographic Collection

• Jim Peacock Photographic Collection

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/researchholdings.html

Private Records – ‘Other’

‘Neo-Conservative’ Records:• Reform Party of Canada http://

www.ucalgary.ca/archives/Holdings.htm• Clifford Fryers fonds• Ernest Manning fonds• Preston Manning fonds• Dr. Fred Marshall fonds

Other private records:• Art Smith fonds; David Kilgour fonds• Calgary Herald Union fonds

Accessing Private Records

• Unrestricted or Restricted

• Restrictions based on – Legislative requirements– Donor requirements

• Check the ‘Restrictions’ field on the fonds-level descriptions:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/researchholdings.html

Accessing Digitized Private Records

• Check the main webpage for digitized contenthttp://www.ucalgary.ca/archives/researchholdings.html

Example of Calgary Normal School

• Digitized records placed in Archives Network of Alberta database (ANA)– Textual records in Alberta InWord– Graphic records in Alberta InSight

Accessing Private Records – Researcher Agreements

• Restricted records may still be accessible to researchers

• Access granted under Researcher Agreement1. Proposal to Access Records

2. Agreement to Access Records

Accessing Private Records: Photocopies

• Photocopies may be made of private records dependent on restrictions and fragility.

• Cost is 20 cents/page or $5-10 for scans• All photocopies are stamped:

Accessing Private Records – Where are they?

• Several different locations• Onsite – 12th Floor or main floor vault• Offsite – Provincial Archives of Alberta

• 1-2 day delay in accessing records

Questions?

University Archives Reference Room:• 12th Floor, Library Tower• open 10:00-4:30 Monday-Friday• 220 7271