Special Collections and University Archives Team
George Thompson, Stefani Baldivia, and Pamela Kruger
specialcollections@csuchico.edu
530.898.6342
MLIB 305
Upcoming Workshops:
The Spring CAT Workshop will be held Thursday March 1st, from 5- 6 pm
in MLIB 252
Space is limited
Register at the Meriam Library website to participate!
Past Workshops:
The Fall CAT Workshop was held Thursday October 5th from 5- 6 pm
in MLIB 252
Registration is closed.
Today Decides Tomorrow
The Meriam Library Special Collections and University Archives department recognizes student narratives are underrepresented in Meriam Library. We want to remedy this information and knowledge gap, today, so students’ perspectives will be present in the Archives, tomorrow. Student’s experiences at Chico State, both inside and outside the classroom, are an important part of the campus history.
The Chico Archives Toolkit (CAT) will address this issue, providing students the tools to document their experiences and the role that they play in the development of the Chico State campus. We are actively seeking to create a robust, contextually rich history of the Chico State Experience- a tapestry woven together of multiple perspectives and narratives.
Through CAT, we hope to increase student engagement with the records creation process. Thereby increasing student awareness of their role as records creators, cultural workers, and historical participants on the Chico State campus.
Provide instruction to students in records management best practices.
Increase student representation in University Archives, Special Collections at Meriam Library.
Outreach and promotion of Meriam Library and University Archives as a resource within the campus community.
A FREE flash drive for storing electronic records
Acid free folders and a lignin-free box suitable for long term storage of print materials
Best practices and skills to preserve materials from University Archives staff and support from Student Life & Leadership.
Things to keep in mind
Materials to keep
Founding documents
Constitution and By-Laws
Agendas
Club meeting minutes
Membership Lists
Flyers or posters for events
Photographs
Scrapbooks
“Born Digital” or electronic records
Correspondence
Handbooks
Research Files
Audiovisual materials
“Swag” (shirts, hats, buttons, pins, stickers, pennants, etc… )
Publications/Newsletters
Any papers documenting group activities
Where to keep
What not to keep
PII (Personally Identifiable information) & FERPA (Family Education Rights & Privacy Act)
Be mindful of "personally identifiable information" (PII) and campus policies regarding student privacy and compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Do not collect materials with confidential information such as:
personal financial records, any identification numbers (social security, passport, visa), race, gender, grades, GPA etc.
If your student organization decides to transfer records to the University Archives, an archivist will meet with you to make this exchange as smooth and easy as possible. A deed of gift is signed by both parties outlining any donor restrictions if any.
The team at University Archives will then review those materials, describe, and create access to them. Depending on the material type the collection may be re-housed in acid-free folders and stored in acid-neutral lignin-free boxes suitable for long-term storage of archival materials. The collection will be made discoverable on the Meriam Library catalog and website, and can be accessed by students at any time during our open office hours.