Faculty Papers Collecting Policy

The University Archives collects the personal papers of eminent UNC faculty that do not fit into the collecting areas of the Southern Historical Collection, Southern Folklife Collection, or the Rare Books Collection. Due to space and limited resources, however, we cannot collect the personal papers of every UNC faculty member. Therefore, we use the following criteria to determine if these papers warrant retention and preservation in the University Archives.

• Research value of the papers
• Faculty member's record of service to UNC and contribution to its growth and development
• Faculty member's record of service and contribution in community, state, and/or national affairs
• Faculty member's national or international reputation in an academic field

Also, not all materials are worthy of permanent retention. The following is a list of the types of materials and information we want and do not want to collect.

Types of papers and information we collect

• Correspondence (including email)
• Diaries and journals
• Biographical material
  • resumes, curriculum vitae, bibliographies, biographical sketches, personal memoirs, etc.
• Grant proposals and reports
• Records of committees that the faculty member chaired
• Literary manuscripts
• Speeches and lectures
• Lecture notes
• Course syllabi
• Photographs
• Audio-visual materials
  • non-commercial, unique, raw materials
• Observational research data
  • data that is time bound and difficult to recover, repeat, or reconstruct

Types of papers and information we do not collect

• Drafts of significant publications
  • although these may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis
• Student records
  • papers, assignments, and grades; these are confidential under the Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act (FERPA)
• Experimental research data
  • data that is generated through a repeatable process; the documents accumulated during literary and historical research are included in this category as they can be reassembled
• Books and other publications, such as journals and magazines
  • includes reprints, off-prints, and preprints
• University publications, such as issues of the Daily Tar Heel or Carolina Alumni Review
  • Library staff will consider these publications, as well as department newsletters to fill in gaps in Library holdings, as these may not have been collected over the years.

If you are unsure of whether your papers belong in the University Archives or have questions about the types of records we collect, please contact us. We can put you in contact with the other special collections in Wilson Library and provide advice on the types of papers you have.

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