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Deaccessioning Policy

Introduction:

Deaccessioning is the process by which archives release materials from their collections that have been appraised and accessioned. Materials to be deaccessioned are, for the most part, the results of early, broad collecting on the part of the institution at a time when space was not at a premium. Due to the raising cost of space and the voluminous nature of records in the later twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, archives are forced to reevaluate their holding on a regular basis. The result is that certain materials that no longer fit the collecting policy of the institution will be given away, sold or otherwise discarded.

Evaluation of Materials:

While the Archives and Special Collections may on occasion deaccession published materials because they duplicate holding already in the Archives and Special Collection or the Library, no materials with significant research or financial value will be deaccessioned without careful research and consideration. On all such materials an appraisal report must be filled out and must be reviewed by the entire Archives and Special Collections staff. The report should seek to answer the following questions:

1. Does the material fall within the scope of current collecting policies?
2. Is the material a duplicate or does it duplicate information already held in the collection in another format?
3. Has the material deteriorated beyond real usefulness?
4. Are there any externally imposed restrictions such as donor agreements or other legal issues that apply to this material?
5. How would deaccessioning the material affect public access to information?

Disposition of Materials:

Materials to be deaccessioned may be returned to the donor, transferred to other scholarly institutions, offered for public sale or destroyed. Any disposition of materials with significant research or financial value will be governed by the following considerations:

1. Materials must be free of all legal impediments. No such materials will be deaccessioned when this action is contrary to any written agreement between the College and the donor. Reasonable attempts will be made to contact the donor when materials are considered for deaccession.
2. Reasonable attempts will be made to determine if other College collecting units have an interest in the materials.
3. No private sale or gifts of materials will be made to College staff, faculty, administrators or board members or their immediate families.
4. All proceeds from the sale of materials will be used solely to further the preservation and development of collections in the Archives and Special Collections.
5. The method of disposition will be decided jointly by the Archives and Special Collections staff in conjunction with the appropriate administrative units of the College.
6. Decisions to deaccessioning materials with a value of less than $1,000 will be made at the discretion of the Archives and Special Collections professional staff. Those valued between $1,000 and $5,000 will be deaccessioned in consultation with the College Librarian and the Director of Library, Information and Technology Services (LITS). In some case where materials are valued between $1,000 and $5,000, and in all case where materials are valued at more than $5,000 the decision will be made in consultation with the LITS Advisory Committee.