Open Collections

Faculty papers : appraisal for acquisition and selection

University of British Columbia

In the past, little has been written about the systematic acquisition of faculty papers, which are important sources for documenting not only the faculty members themselves, but also universities and the academic disciplines. This thesis investigates the theoretical and practical issues involved in the appraisal for acquisition and selection of faculty papers. The work of the professor is analyzed in terms of the competences that he exercises in carrying out the functions of the university. Interviews with academics verify the functional analysis, confirm the existence of documents predicted by it, and alert the archivist to professors' attitudes that could affect the acquisition of the faculty papers. The account of the interviews is followed by a discussion of various questions concerning the ownership of faculty papers and the most appropriate repositories for them. To further resolve the problems identified, and to lay the groundwork for an acquisition plan, a report is made on interviews and correspondence with archivists from universities and subject discipline history centers and repositories. These sources illustrate current archival practices. It is concluded that most faculty papers belong in a university archives, although there is an important role for the subject discipline history center and repository. The latter institutions offer a different outlook than can be reached through a documentation plan that is focused on one university. To provide a framework for the acquisition of faculty papers, it is suggested that a university-wide records policy be drafted, as the necessary foundation on which to base an archival mandate, an acquisition policy, and a plan for the appraisal for acquisition of faculty papers. Finally, the appraisal for selection of faculty papers is analyzed and seen to be primarily a process of weeding rather than the elimination of whole series.

Text

2010-09-27

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28706

Archival Studies

University of British Columbia

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