Donating to Special Collections

Special Collections and Archives is a department in the University of Idaho Library that specializes in the acquisition, preservation, cataloging, and use of information that documents the history of Idaho and the West. The nearly 6,000 cubic feet of materials in the collections include personal papers of individuals and families; business records of lumber, railroad, mining, and other companies; papers of government officials, politicians, educators, authors, and business people; records of organizations such as religious, fraternal, and civic associations; and similar groups. The collections also include books, environmental studies, maps, photographs, blueprints, audio oral history interviews, and related items. They support research into nearly all facets of the history of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest.

Access to the manuscripts and archival material in the library is provided primarily by the on-line bibliographical catalog. Descriptive entries identify the persons, places, and things of prominence in the collection. Larger bodies of material frequently have supplementary inventories and descriptive guides, whose presence is noted in the bibliographic system. Kept in stack areas closed to public access, and frequently measured in the hundreds of cubic feet, these primary source materials are delivered to the reading room by the staff upon request.

Students, faculty, visiting scholars, and members of the public with research inquiries are welcome to consult the personal papers and university archives in Special Collections. Because of the oftimes fragile or unique character of the materials in Special Collections, great care must be taken in their use. For this reason, the collection is non-circulating and their use is limited to the Special Collections reading room during open hours. Photocopying is available but can be permitted only when it will not harm the material and is permitted by federal copyright law. Smoking, eating, drinking, and the use of pens are all prohibited in the reading room. Users of the materials must register daily upon entering Special Collections. A knowledgeable staff and a variety of finding aids are available to assist researchers and retrieve materials for study.

The purpose of the collection is to provide information for the use of University students and faculty in their studies; primary sources for the training of students in history, archaeology, business, forestry, and other areas, as well as to support research by the community. All materials, unless otherwise restricted, are made available to any user. Community researchers have included students working on History Fair projects, environmentalists studying wilderness, individuals restoring houses or buildings, and industry consultants reviewing previously published materials.

Historians, researchers, and students of history have found that the history of an area is more often told by unpublished records than printed materials. Unpublished items can include letters, correspondence, reports, minutes, planning documents, financial statements, programs, brochures, newsletters, photographs, and other kinds of personal and business records.

All people and organizations produce and accumulate these materials. We ask for the donation of primary sources because we recognize that they are important historical resources that should be preserved as part of Idaho's documentary record. Unlike published books, most papers and records are extremely limited in quantity -- often less than a dozen copies may have been created. If we do not actively locate and save these materials now, they may not be available when they are "historical." We take the long range approach by acquiring and preserving important records now for the future.

The importance of records is often in their seeming lack of importance. A document that might not seem at first important could be very important to us -- perhaps that single issue of a newsletter that we are missing to complete a file or a participant's letter about a historical event. A file of records is always important because the papers are in their historical context.

To donate materials, call us. We can make arrangements to meet with you, and to pack and pick up the records. Many people say "My files are a mess. I will wait to sort them first." This is not necessary since we do this as part of our arrangement and description process.

Upon receipt, the donation is acknowledged and a gift form created. A sample deed of gift form is available. The records will be kept together as a group and given a title and accession number. Next, the materials will be examined, often item by item. Papers will be sorted, placed in acid-free folders, and folder titles, subjects, and dates will be identified and listed. Some initial preservation steps will be taken, rusty paper clips removed, and fragile items treated.

At this stage, some items may be discarded -- such as blank forms and empty folders. Other items that are not needed -- and every group of papers contains something like a 1980 Atlanta phone book or a highway map of Rhode Island --can be returned to the donor if requested, or forwarded to other libraries or archives.

Finally, an inventory of the collection will be prepared and a copy given to the donor. The material is then cataloged in the electronic database and stored in the closed stack area of the Department.

Collections that include "sensitive" items can be restricted for a set number of years at the time of donation. Such restrictions are exceptions, for the Library has acquired the materials to be used for research.

The University of Idaho Library is the largest in Idaho and Special Collections is the largest academic repository in the state. The major holdings of the Library support the thorough use of the primary source materials. Before making a commitment, we encourage donors to visit us -- see our facility, how we preserve and catalog materials, and see some of the extensive collections already housed at the University of Idaho.

Special Collections offers constant security; environmental controls, such as proper lighting, as well as housing in acid-free storage containers; features that are not available in non-archival facilities. Avoid losing valuable materials to light fading, water damage, or insects.

In addition to gifts, Special Collections benefits when friends and professional colleagues are urged to donate their archival material to Special Collections. Many people belong to a wide variety of organizations, committees, or churches and learn to recognize primary sources which should be placed in the Library. Even with our commitment to preserve Idaho history through published and unpublished records, we still have limited resources -- in staff, equipment, and time. By acting on our behalf, in encouraging others to donate or by delivering materials to us, you help us as well as the cause of preservation of Idaho history.

The Library needs cash gifts as well as material gifts. Funds are always needed to organize, maintain, and care for our collections so that they may be preserved and made available for future generations. A primary need is for the purchase of thousands of acid-free folders and storage containers. The binding, repair, and conservation of fragile materials is another high priority. Funds to provide additional trained staff are also a growing need. Support is also needed for the acquisition of collections or specific books. Many fine collections and books are donated to the Library each year, but oftentimes we must buy really rare or important pieces. All materials purchased by Special Collections are acquired through gift funds from the Library Associates, a Friends of the Library group, and other donors.

To honor an individual, a family, a company, or an organization through a gift is easily accomplished. Gifts can be special tributes to people, either as memorials or as a means of honoring them in their lifetime. Gifts can be recognized with bookplates, or in collection finding aids. The Library's donor recognition program is tailored to the needs of the donor and the size and nature of the gift.

The Library receives many gifts (cash and/or collections) through bequests. Like gifts in your lifetime, they can be made as tributes to you or someone else that you would like to honor. They also can be restricted to a specific project or activity in which you and your family have a particular interest. A bequest is a wonderful way to support the Library because it often can be a much larger gift than you might have been able to make during your lifetime. Additionally, tax exempt bequests to organizations such as the Library can mean considerable tax savings for your estate. If you are interested in making a restricted bequest, it is best to consult with the Library as you prepare your will so that your gift can be directed exactly as you wish (and to make sure that it is for a project for which the Library needs funds). Please consult with your tax advisor prior to naming the Library in your will. However, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us or the University Development Office. Please let us know how we can be of assistance to you or your family.

There are many other deferred or planned gift options available. Some may provide income to you or your heirs for a period of time. There may be pooled income trusts, or charitable remainder trusts. There are many vehicles that have many different tax consequences. If you are interested in making a planned or deferred gift to the Library, please consult your tax or financial advisor and the University Development Office. We will be happy to answer your questions or refer you to someone who can. Naturally, all discussions will be considered confidential.

Gifts of appreciated value, such as securities or real estate often can mean very real tax savings for the donor. The Internal Revenue Code does have a number of restrictions relating to gifts of appreciated property, so it is important that you speak to your tax or financial consultant as well as to the University Development Office before making such a gift.

A useful leaflet covering many donor and institutional concerns has been published by the Society of American Archivists. It is "A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository."

For more details, write to Special Collections, University of Idaho Library, Moscow, Idaho 83844-2351; <libspec@uidaho.edu>; or call 208-885-7951. The University Development Office is at 208-885-7069.