University of Oregon Libraries
Special Collections and University Archives
Collection Development Policy
Mission Statement
Special Collections and University Archives is the primary repository for the University of Oregon’s archives, rare books, historic photographs, and one of the largest historical manuscripts collections in the Pacific Northwest. Our mission is to acquire, preserve, and make available a clearly defined set of primary sources and rare books, reflecting the written, visual, and audio history and culture of Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and selected aspects of American and world history. Our diverse collections support all types of research, from undergraduate education to international scholarship. We play an active and creative role in the teaching, research, and service missions of the University.
Collection History
The book, manuscript, photograph, and archival holdings in Special Collections and University Archives are national and international in scope. Historically, the collections were not limited to a geographical area, but the manuscript and visual materials have a special emphasis on Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Beginning in the 1980s, the department began to focus almost exclusively on Northwest regional archival collections, excluding rare books, zines and collections of authors of science fiction which continue to have an international perspective.
Historical Collection Strengths
- Oregon history, politics, culture
- Authors and illustrators of children’s books
- Conservative and libertarian movements
- Popular literature, with an emphasis on Western fiction
- Missionaries to foreign countries, especially in the Far East
- Labor and Maritime History
- Journalism and Communications
- Photography of the Northwest
- Environmental history and activism
- Northwest literature, fiction and poetry
- Utopian and intentional communities
- Northwest architecture and built environment
- Northwest economic history
- Social Justice and Equity Movements
- Medieval and Renaissance period
I. Statement of purpose
The University of Oregon Library, Special Collections and University Archives seeks to support and stimulate undergraduate instruction, graduate instruction, graduate and faculty research and service on the University of Oregon campus, as well as to respond to the needs of scholars by providing access to recorded information and information services. In accordance with this goal, the purpose of the Special Collections is to appraise, collect, organize, describe, preserve, and make available, historically valuable materials documenting the political, social, economic, and literary history of the United States, with special emphasis on the Pacific Northwest.
II. Types of programs supported by the collection
The collections are primarily used for scholarly research and education. The materials are also used in Special Collections exhibits and outreach. Occasionally, items are shown in the University of Oregon, JSMA Museum of Art or in exhibits by external entities, following policy and procedures established for their management and security. Collections may also be used for outreach programs, such as in digital presentations, to illustrate class lectures, or in publicity brochures and newsletters.
III. Clientele served by the collection
Unless restricted by donor or public policy, collections are available to scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, and other adult researchers. In an effort to support unrestricted, open access, collections falling out of copyright do not require permission to publish and no fees are charged for use.
IV. Priorities and limitations of the collection
The Collection is not limited to a geographical area, although there are special emphases on Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Generally, though, collecting is done on a nationwide basis. The collection has been built by gift and will continue to grow in this manner, but purchase of single items or collections in our areas of strength will be considered. The time-period for book collections has no date limit, while manuscript and pictorial materials are collected that focus on the 19th-21st century. Book collections have no language limit but are strongest in European and Asian languages. Most manuscripts are in English, with few exceptions such as those collections relating to Esperanto. Audio-visual items are collected but limited by capacity to preserve, catalog and accessibility. Following is a list identifying subject strengths in the manuscript collections and an indication of the degree to which they are collected.
A. Major subject strengths
These are areas in which there is an existing strength and in which new collections will be sought as well as to continue to collect everything from those who have given an initial gift.
1. Northwest Visual Collections: Photographs and visual materials (artwork on paper, broadsides, posters, etc.) of the Northwest and its peoples, with a primary emphasis on images that are representative of Oregon, its history and culture.
2. Environmental History: Collections that document the markings left on the land by human beings, with a particular emphasis on land use and how the use of the land is played out in the political process. In all the subcategories of this topic, collections focused primarily on Oregon and the Pacific Northwest will be considered. Records of Environmental/Conservation groups, activists, and leading conservation thinkers are actively sought.
3. Independent Filmmakers. Papers and films of Independent Filmmakers are sought on a very selective basis. Priority is given to Northwest-based companies and UO alumni.
4. Women, Gender, and Sexuality: Lesbian Back to the Land movement, women linguists focusing on gender issues in language, women who have affected the political process and cultural landscape are a high priority.
5. Children’s Literature: Authors and illustrators of children’s books, especially the archives of Northwest authors and illustrators, and winners of the ALA Caldecott medal.
6. Multicultural Collections: Collections in all formats by and about Native Americans, Latinx, Latin Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, Disabled Americans, and African Americans.
7. Utopian and Intentional Communities: SCUA has one of the strongest collections of intentional communities in the nation, and the preeminent collection documenting the Lesbian Back to the Land Movement. Collecting will be focused on Oregon and the Northwest. Materials in all formats are sought.
8. Labor History: Special emphasis on nontraditional labor groups: intentional communities, anarchists, migrant workers, and women workers.
9. The Conservative and Libertarian Movement: Focus is on the last half of the twentieth century and the twenty-first century; also includes writers and groups who oppose right-wing movements.
10. Northwest History and Culture: Materials in all formats that describe or reflect Northwest history and culture.
11. Science Fiction/Speculative Fiction: Collect personal and professional correspondence, literary manuscripts, publicity, reviews, and published works of authors of science fiction. Particular emphasis is placed on women writers of speculative fiction.
12. Oregon Authors: Collect personal and professional correspondence, literary manuscripts, publicity, reviews, and published works of Oregon authors.
13. Zines: Collect all types of these small circulation work of original or appropriated texts and images usually reproduced via photocopier. Priority is given to works produced in the Pacific Northwest.
14. Popular literature: Collect personal and professional correspondence, manuscripts, reviews, publicity, and published works of 20th century authors of western, mystery, and confession stories and books. Particular emphasis on western fiction. Also collect screenplays for theater and television, and early radio scripts. In addition, in a related field, collect correspondence and manuscripts collected by literary agents.
15. European Printing and American Fine Press printers: Primary date focus should be Medieval and Renaissance period through the Victorian era, especially titles printed in Britain, Italy, Spain, Germany and France. American fine press printers, regardless of time period or place, will be collected. Subject strengths should include fiction, poetry, religion, botany, zoology, women, and utopian societies. We do not collect artist’s books which is the purview of the UO Libraries Art
Library.
B. Secondary subject strengths
Collecting in these areas has not been as general or voluminous as in the areas of major subject strengths. Most of these areas are more specialized, but active collecting will continue.
1. Oregon Political Figures: People who have affected the political process in the state of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. With the exception of congressional District 4 representatives, we are not accepting collections in this area and do not
accept records of state, county or city government officials.
2. Architecture and the Built Environment: Drawings, renderings, project files, and specifications of architects and historic preservationists, with an emphasis on the built environment in Oregon. We are not actively soliciting collections in this area and will consider collections on a case by case basis that are offered to us.
3. Missionaries to foreign countries: Focus is on the Far East. We are not actively soliciting collections in this area. We will consider collections that are offered to us.
4. Philippine History: Collect diaries, correspondence and other files documenting early 20th century American involvement in the Philippines, with a particular emphasis on those who served with the Philippine constabulary. We are not actively soliciting collections in this area. We will consider collections that are offered to us.
5. Popular literature: Focus is on Western fiction. We are not actively soliciting collections in this area. We will consider collections that are offered to us.
6. Comic Book Industry: Collect original art, comic books, papers of writers, illustrators, and editors, publishers’ archives. We are not actively soliciting collections in this area. We will consider collections that are offered to us.
7. Forestry and Lumber industry: Collect field diaries, correspondence, reminiscences, and other materials documenting the history of forest evaluation and management, with a particular emphasis on the Pacific Northwest. Build on our substantial holdings of business records documenting the lumber industry in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
8. Northwest Power: Among the holdings are files of officials involved in the development of Northwest public power, particularly administrators of the Bonneville Power Administration, but we are shifting the emphasis now to collect files of those involved in the engineering aspects of generation of power, with a particular emphasis on the Pacific Northwest.
9. Journalists: Collect correspondence, journals, recorded interviews, photographs, and other files of 20th century American journalists, particularly those from Oregon.
10. Alaskan history: Our holdings reflect several collections relating to this general subject area; collecting is now limited to diaries, correspondence, and related materials documenting the Aleutian Islands World War II campaign.
11. Incunabula and Medieval Manuscripts: Our holdings in this area are quite strong and preference will be to acquire such titles when offered as gifts or purchased to support long-term priority curriculum needs of UO Academic Departments.
V. Cooperative agreements
A. Lane County Museum
Archival materials having local historical content relating specifically to Lane County, Oregon, will not be collected by the University of Oregon Library unless they fall in major or secondary areas of subject strength.
VI. Statement of resource sharing policy
When a collection is divided among institutions, an effort will be made to provide an inventory of our holdings to the sharing institution(s) published on Archives West, ArchivesGrid, or some other collection access system.
VII. What Is Not Collected
There are some things we do not collect. These decisions are driven by cost, size, format, privacy, or because other Oregon Libraries have taken responsibility for collecting. The following general subject areas and genres are excluded from the collection: medicine (except natural history, zoology, botany and medical anthropology), law (especially lawyer-client files), music (except UO faculty), genealogy research resources, military/naval history, text-books, and non-UO sports. Juvenilia (as opposed to Children’s literature) is generally not collected unless there is a direct relationship to Oregon. Post-WWII cookbooks (except those written by Oregon authors).
Formats Excluded: Paintings, museum objects, furnishings, rugs, clocks, etc. Certain obsolete audio-visual formats that present challenges to existing resources.
Conditions Excluded: Items with mold, water or fire damage, illegibility, etc.
VIII. Statement of deaccessioning policy
Gifts to Special Collections are considered outright and unrestricted donations, unless otherwise specified by gift agreements. We do not accept collections on a deposit basis. Usually, accepted gifts are considered valuable; however, no individual or institution can predict nor govern the changing attitudes of future generations, nor guarantee permanency beyond the best available preservation procedures. Removal of purchased items from the collection occurs very infrequently and is undertaken only after careful consultation within the Library. Purchased copies are sometimes replaced with superior copies, usually received as gifts. It is sometimes impractical to evaluate all material at the time of acquisition. Upon
evaluation, some material may be declared expendable, including material that is duplicate, non-relevant, or of deteriorated condition or limited use. Unless the gift agreement specifies that such material will be returned to the donor, it will be offered to other more appropriate repositories, or will be disposed of as is seen fit. Before disposing of any material declared expendable, the collection in question must first be reviewed by the Director of Special Collections.
IX. Acquisitions Process
SCUA acquires collections in the following ways: 1) additions to already accepted collections; 2) new donations; and 3) purchases. All new proposed manuscript and book collections that exceed a $2,500 purchase cost or exceed 5 linear feet will be submitted to the SCUA’s Curatorial Committee for review and approval. SCUA’s Curatorial Committee meets monthly. The committee will make recommendations to accept or reject proposed acquisitions, based on historical and research values, cost implications, and political considerations. If a donated collection is accepted, a gift agreement will be sent to the donor. The donor will retain one copy of the gift agreement for their files and return one to SCUA. UO Libraries will not cover the costs for appraisals. The original gift agreement will be filed in secure storage, with a copy placed in the working donor files. Because gift agreements are binding obligations, any gift agreement with language that departs significantly from language already approved by UO Counsel, will be sent to UO Counsel for review prior to signature by SCUA.
Revised August 2020