Service Alert
Service Alert
Statement of Purpose
The Queens University Archives was established to collect, preserve, describe, display, and encourage use of:
1. The organized body of permanent institutional records created or received in connection with the transaction of University affairs (Appendix A), and
2. Non-institutional records which reflect the diverse history and activities of the University’s student body, faculty members, administrators, friends and alumni, and infrastructure.
The Archives acknowledges that existing collections, with few exceptions, reflect predominantly white, patriarchal, cisgender, and heteronormative culture and history. Ongoing reparative efforts will be made going forward to address these gaps in our existing collections and actively acquire collections that document the experiences, contributions, and reflections of underrepresented groups as they relate to race, gender, sexuality, and ability. The Archives is dedicated to increasing inclusivity and diversity in its collections by creating a more complete historical record.
The Archives promotes the educational, scholarly, fiscal, and service missions of Queens University in the following ways:
Identifying and preserving essential institutional records.
Supporting instruction and enhancing the curriculum as appropriate via collection materials.
Facilitating the research of faculty, students, and other scholars through presentation and use of archival materials in classroom or other instructional settings.
Facilitating preparation for graduate studies by increasing undergraduate student exposure to primary sources and historical research methods.
Enhancing levels of University funding through public and private sources.
Authority Statement
The University Archivist, under the supervision of the Library Director, holds the authority and responsibility to implement the provisions of this policy.
Acquisition of Materials
The University Archives acquires materials in the following ways:
Transfer of custody. This is the way the Archives acquires institutional records created internally at Queens University.
Donation. All donations must be accompanied by a deed of gift that transfers legal title and any copyrights (or specifies the status of the copyright). The deed should include the specific date, a description of the materials being transferred, the terms of transferal, including any restrictions on the use of the donation, and the signatures of the donor and the Archives representative accepting the donation. Donations imposing restrictions may not be accepted. The Archivist will determine the right of the donor to make the donation and ensure that the donation does not raise ethical or legal problems.
Loan. In exceptional circumstances, as in a special exhibition, the Archives may agree to borrow materials related to Queens University.
Purchase. In exceptional circumstances, the Archives may purchase items of great archival interest at retail price or at cost determined by appraisal by a disinterested third party.
Guidelines for Selection and Retention
Collections and manuscripts will be selected for retention, accession, and preservation in the Archives primarily because of their enduring historical information and research value.
Historical, non-institutional records currently retained or newly offered to the Queens University Archives will be weighed according to selection and retention guidelines approved by the University Archivist and Director of Library Services.
1. Materials to be retained or newly accessioned will generally directly chronicle the history of Queens University and the activities of the University students, employees, and community affiliates. The University Archivist will be proactive in identifying and seeking out materials of significance.
2. Materials to be retained or newly accessioned will be of enduring historical value.
3. Historical materials retained or newly accessioned by the Archives may include memorabilia, records, printed documents, books, photographic still or moving images, maps, graphic materials, various formats of audio materials, and other historically significant materials in other physical or electronic forms.
4. Deaccessioned Archives materials which are found to be incompatible with collection guidelines (because they are duplicates; they exist elsewhere in easily accessible format (interlibrary loan or on the internet); they are not relevant to Queens University history; or because their condition is too poor) may be either offered to other institutions whose needs and resources permit them to acquire such materials or discarded in a secure and environmentally safe manner.
5. Accepted gifts will be housed in the best available environment. However, preservation, processing, indexing, and digitization of donated accessions may not occur until funds become available, either through donors’ accompanying financial gifts or other means.
6. Gifts to the University Archives are considered outright donations to be used in the best interest of Queens University.
7. Transfer of ownership and donation terms will be agreed on and stated in an official deed of gift, signed by the donor and a University Archives representative.
8. Donations become the sole and irrevocable property of the University Archives. All donor access and use restrictions and conditions will be specified only if requested at the time of donation and stipulated in the deed of gift.
9. The historical resources of the University Archives are available for public use on the premises during regular business hours.
11. The Archives can assume no responsibility for abuse of literary or copyright restrictions by users of research materials.
13. Donations may be tax deductible; however, the Archives cannot appraise donations for tax purposes. It is recommended that such appraisals be done by a disinterested third party before the material is conveyed to the Archives.
Appendix A – Archival University Records
Official records, Papers, and Publications of Queens College to be retained in office and transferred to the Archives when reference value ends or at regular intervals agreed upon by the creator(s) of the records and the Archivist:
1. The Board of Trustees: Minutes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports, including those of its committees.
2. Office of the President: Correspondence, reports, subject files, speeches, media coverage, commencement programs.
3. Office of the Provost; Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs: Correspondence, memoranda, and subject files.
4. Academic Deans of the College of Arts and Sciences; of Hayworth College; of McColl School: Correspondence, memoranda, reports, subject files.
5. Library: Correspondence, memoranda, reports, subject files.
6. Faculty Committees and Council: Minutes, correspondence, reports.
7. Registrar’s Office: Select historical documents only.
8. Chaplain: Correspondence, reports, records of programs.
9. Office of Institutional Research: correspondence, reports, subject files.
10. Vice Presidents for Institutional Advancement (Development and Alumni Affairs); Administration and Finance; and Communications: Correspondence, memoranda, records. Contribution records and publications for Development and Alumni Affairs Offices. Self-study reports and SACSOC reports should be retained permanently by the Office of Academic Affairs.
11. Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid: Correspondence, annual and other reports, policy statements.
12. Dean of Student Development: Correspondence, memoranda, reports, subject files.
13. Director of Athletics: Memoranda, reports, schedules, programs, publications.
14. University committees: Minutes, memoranda, correspondence, reports.
15. All Queens University publications. These include catalogs, bulletins, newsletters, official reports, directories and rosters, recruiting materials, special publications such as press releases, calendars, posters, special event notices, scrapbooks, and student publications (yearbooks and newspapers). Publications with a Queens College imprint.
16. Copies of successful grant proposals, following completion of project or termination of grant funding.
17. Theses that form a component of graduate degree programs, or major research projects that fulfill undergraduate degree program requirements.
19. Digital and analog (print or physical) records and artifacts documenting the development of the University. This includes photos, audiovisual materials, and memorabilia.
20. Campus plans, architectural/building plans, renderings of campus buildings, maps, and plot plants that document physical changes and college development.
Queens University Archives contains historical and contemporary materials documenting human expression and lived experiences. Thus, some content includes harmful, offensive, distressing, or inappropriate images or language. Archives users may encounter images and language that are now recognized as offensive and unacceptable; some may have been widely viewed as unacceptable when they were created. Inclusion of such content in Queens University’s digital collections is not an endorsement of its language, images, or ideology. The Archives openly rejects oppressive views reflected in our collections, and we believe in the importance of fostering access to our collections in a responsible and transparent way that preserves historical evidence of social conditions, attitudes, and practices.
Statement on Language in Description
Queens University Archives strives to describe materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. However, for a variety of reasons, users may encounter offensive or harmful language, for example, language that is racist, sexist, or homophobic, in finding aids or catalog records.
Descriptions of Library materials may contain harmful or offensive language for one or more of the following reasons:
Some descriptions were written many years ago using language that was accepted at the time. Library staff often re-use language provided by creators or former owners of the material, as it can provide important historical context and institutional transparency, despite reflecting biases and prejudices.
Library staff often use a standardized set of terms, such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings, to describe materials. Some of these terms are outdated, offensive, or insensitive.
Communities with less access to and privilege within libraries and archives have had less control over how they are represented and described.
Library staff sometimes make mistakes or use poor judgment.
In the past, there were no universal standards or policies to use to help avoid harmful language, leaving the choice of what terms to use up to individuals.
The Library recognizes that terminology evolves over time and that efforts to create respectful and inclusive descriptions must be ongoing. Users are encouraged to provide feedback to help Library staff address this issue.
If you encounter problematic language, please use the form below to share your concerns, or notify any Library staff member. Staff will review the description and, when possible, update it in a way that balances the preservation of original context with an awareness of the effect of language on our users. Revisions may include providing additional context and/or replacing problematic terminology. The Library welcomes your feedback.
If you have copyright, privacy, or ethical concerns about any online digital Archives content, please visit the Removal Request page, which contains related policies and a Removal Request Form.
This statement was informed by similar statements of other institutions, including Princeton, Drexel University, and Tennessee Tech.
Queens University of Charlotte is committed to fostering a culture that promotes inclusion, diversity, equity, and access for students, faculty, staff, and the community around us. The University Archives strives to support this commitment by:
Maintaining open channels of communication with the Queens community;
Welcoming and supporting researchers from all backgrounds;
Collecting and responding to feedback about archival content and description;
Seeking partnerships, especially unrepresented, underrepresented or misrepresented groups;
Filling cultural and demographic gaps in the archival record;
Avoiding the use of outdated or offensive terminology in description (Statement on Harmful Content);
Practicing historical transparency;
Providing free and open access to all open collections;
Encouraging the use of primary source Archives materials in research, which offer first-hand accounts of lived experiences;
Evaluating Archives collections, practices, and spaces to ensure that they are inclusive, equitable, and diverse.
Learn more about Queens’ commitment to DEI here.
Copyright Information
Everett Library provides broad access to its print and electronic resources for teaching, learning, and research. By using these resources, all users agree to abide by copyright law, the terms and conditions of each resource, and be solely responsible for any unauthorized or unlawful use of resources. The Library encourages users to make the best use of resources in the public domain or apply fair use when using copyrighted works for the purpose of criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, or research. We do not own the copyright for most of the resources we make available and claim no copyright on digital reproductions that we create. To learn more about copyright, fair use, and public domain, please contact everett@queens.edu.
Rights of Privacy and Publicity
Separate and distinct from issues of copyright that protect an owner’s work, the right of privacy refers to the concept that one's personal information is protected from public scrutiny while the right of publicity is a person’s right to keep personal information private and control the use of their identity for commercial promotion. Unauthorized use of one's name or likeness is recognized as an invasion of privacy. Library users need to consider these issues when using them and are responsible for addressing them when needed. Although the Library tries to identify and remediate sensitive information that could threaten the privacy and security of individuals, organizations, or other entities represented in the collections, sensitive or private information may inadvertently be included in digital collections.
Contact Us
Everett Library makes every effort to adhere to all known copyright and rights of privacy and publicity of its resources. If you are a rights holder (or are acting on behalf of a minor child, parent, spouse, domestic partner, or adult child) and have concerns related to copyright, privacy, or other legal or ethical issues regarding content made available on our website, you are welcome to submit a takedown request.
Use this form to submit a takedown request, including your contact information, the URL of the content that you would like taken down, and the basis of your request (copyright, privacy, etc.). Please note that you may be asked for additional information to better understand the issue and its consequences.
This statement was informed by similar statements of other institutions, including Princeton and Drexel University.