Tips for Preserving Your Organization’s History

1. Document activities: keep minutes of meetings, save copies of publications and flyers.
2. Capture online activities: the Archives can't directly capture your Instagram, TikTok, etc. - download, screenshot, or screenrecord any important social media posts. Consider depositing those in the Archives along with any original photos, videos, etc. you used in the post.
3. Label materials with full names, dates (including year!), and descriptions of events or circumstances.
4. Keep records together in one central place.
5. Develop a straightforward filing system that works for your organization.
6. Store records away from dampness, dust, excessive heat, and sun.
7. Avoid using paper clips and rubber bands. If documents need to be kept together, use stainless steel staples or plastic clips, place them in an envelope, etc.
8. Develop a routine of transferring inactive records to the Archives at the end of the semester, year, or leader’s term of office.
9. Consider the fate of non-paper documents. Electronic records can pose software and hardware access problems. Save CDs, memorabilia, photographs, posters, and tapes, as well as traditional paper documents.

When in doubt, don’t throw it out!