About the Archives

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Harper College Archives is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and provide access to materials of enduring value that document the development, growth and operation of Harper College and the activities of the diverse College community. This mission is accomplished through organizing and making available records of historical, official, fiscal, and administrative value regardless of format. Through the promotion and preservation of these primary source materials, the Archives connects people with the knowledge and understanding of the origins, aims, programs, and goals of the College.

Archives Policy

Scope

The Harper College Archives collects materials (paper, visual, electronic, objects) primarily for their historical research value that are used by students, staff, faculty, alumni and the community at large. Materials accessioned will document the history of the college as a scholarly community, the institution’s development over time, and the interactions of students, faculty and staff within the college and with the larger community. In general records have enduring value if they contain evidence of the College’s organization, function, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities or because of their informational value. Materials that fall under the collection scope of the Archives include:

College administrative records, including, but not limited to: correspondence, memoranda, minutes, financial records, policy documents, curriculum, reports, published materials, photographs, blueprints, and other material generated or received by the administrative and academic offices of the college in the course of business.
College community materials including student organizations and activities, alumni organizations, organizations of faculty and administration, and other college related groups.
Records of individual faculty or students as well as records of other organizations and individuals which contribute uniquely to the understanding of the College’s history will be considered on a case by case basis for inclusion in the Archives.
Materials collected take many forms, including, but not limited to: student publications, administration publications, newspaper clippings, manuscripts, documents, photographs, manuals, sound recordings, videotapes, films, scrapbooks, oral histories, books, artifacts, ephemera, and born digital records.

The Harper College Archives seeks transfers of records from College departments and donations that fit within the scope of this policy. When a department or office in the College has records of institutional, official, and historical value that are no longer in active use, the records should be transferred to the Archives. To transfer records to the archives, please contact the Archivist via email at archives@harpercollege.edu. The Archivist will provide a transfer of records form to fill out with contextual information (extent, dates, summary of contents) about the materials being received. Donations of records to the Archives are welcome as well provided they fit into the criteria listed above. Donors will be asked to fill out at deed of gift agreement that transfers ownership of the records to the Archives and provides information about the materials being donated. Please note that we are unable to provide monetary appraisals for donations.

The Archives reserves the right to determine the usefulness of materials offered to or received for the collection and discard those materials that are deemed non-archival at the time of accession and in the future.

Access

The materials in the Harper College Archives are available to administrators, faculty, students, staff, alumni and members of the community during the regular hours of the archives and by appointment. The Archives is a non-circulating, closed-stack research collection so archival materials must be used on-site in the Archives reading room. The Archivist reserves the right to restrict access to records. Some archival materials are available digitally and may be accessed online. To make an appointment to visit the Archives, please email archives@harpercollege.edu.