Guidelines for Retiring Faculty and Staff on Donating Materials to the Calvin T. Ryan Library 

The CTR Library strives to document the history of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. We seek to collect manuscripts, research files, office files, personal materials and books compiled by University of Nebraska at Kearney faculty, staff, and administrators. Your collections have the potential to provide valuable information for future researchers on both your personal research topics and the history of the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Work you created is of particular value. 

Donation is simple, and a professional librarian or archivist is available to help you. Contact information can be found below. Materials do not need to be re-organized before donation. Simply retain the order that the materials are currently in, and an archivist will do the arranging. 

Books

Books will be assessed by a subject librarian to determine if they are desired for general circulation. If they are directly related to your research and you have annotated them, they may also be a candidate for addition to Special Collections, along with paper/manuscript materials. If you have books you would like to donate to the library, please contact: 

David Arredondo, Collection Services Librarian 
308-865-8992 
arredondodr@unk.edu

Papers/Manuscripts 

The Archives and Special Collections department of the library collects personal and professional papers. Professional papers include files which relate to research you have conducted and official duties you have performed during your employment at UNK. 

Please consult with an archivist before and during this process. The University Archivist is available to assist with selection of appropriate materials, proper packing techniques, and transfer of materials. 

Contact information: 
Laurinda Weisse, University Archivist 
308-865-8593 
weissell@unk.edu 

1. Identify materials to transfer to the Archives 

Materials of interest include but are not limited to: 

• Biographical information: resumes, vitae, bibliographies, memoirs, and biographical sketches 
• Departmental reports
• University official correspondence: outgoing and incoming letters and memoranda relating to departmental and University business
• Professional correspondence: outgoing and incoming correspondence with colleagues, publishers, professional organizations, and former students
• Event Materials: event organization materials, promotional materials, programs, and speeches/ presentations given
• Departmental and University Committee Records: agenda, minutes, reports, correspondence and related material
• Research Data: raw data, manuscripts, and unpublished papers
• Publications: one print copy of all articles, books and reviews
• Audio-visual Materials: photographs, negatives, audio and video recordings
• Personal materials: diaries, correspondence, photographs

We are most interested in materials YOU produced. Because of broad variations in personal papers, it is advisable to consult with the University Archivist to determine how your own files relate to these guidelines. 

2. Sign Deed of Gift 

A Deed of Gift will be prepared for your signature. A Deed of Gift is a simple contract transferring the ownership of the papers from the faculty member to the CTR Library. This document gives the CTR Library the authority to preserve and provide access to your materials according to standard archival principles. 

For those mediating donations of papers and files of deceased faculty members 

The archivist needs to speak directly with the donor/family member. Please either refer the donor directly to the University Archivist or obtain contact information for the donor. The Archives and Special Collections will create a Deed of Gift to be signed by the donor as part of the acquisition process.