Archives Policy
Mission and Scope
The Meem Library Archives (in collaboration with the Greenfield Library Archives in Annapolis, MD) is the Santa Fe campus repository for material that documents the history of St. John’s College and its campus in Santa Fe. The Archive collects and preserves materials of an academic, administrative, and extracurricular nature. This includes:
- College curricular and related materials including catalogs, reading lists, instructional manuals, agendas, reports, correspondence, faculty meeting minutes, committee meeting minutes, proposals, self-studies, lectures, programs, speeches, addresses, senior essays, masters essays, prize essays, and other materials generated or received by the Deans, faculty, and various academic offices of the college.
- College administrative records including publications, correspondence, memoranda, minutes, financial records, handbooks, reports, bulletins, deeds, maps, blueprints, surveys, and other material generated or received by the various administrative offices of the college, the Office of the President, and the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors.
- Non-academic and non-administrative St. John’s College community material pertaining to faculty, staff, alumni, and student life, extracurricular activities, guerilla seminars, student publications, oral histories, interviews, and other related topics and materials.
- Materials collected take many forms, including, but not limited to brochures, publications, magazines, newspapers, manuscripts, notes, documents, posters, flyers, newspaper clippings, photographs, playbills, films, audio recordings, video recordings, books, articles, digital media, and realia.
Access
- Materials in the Archives are available to St. John’s College faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as to members of the public, as qualified below.
- Access to materials in the Archives varies according to the nature and source of the materials and the various legal, institutional, privacy, and other obligations that attend different record types. It is the responsibility of the Archives to balance a researcher’s need for access with the need for confidentiality of persons and institutions whose activities are reflected in the materials.
- Access to materials that were originally of a widely distributed and public nature (announcements, publications, calendars, brochures, event programs, etc.) is available to all patrons without restriction.
- In accordance with The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), student educational records (credentials, grade sheets, correspondence, reports, notes, applications, and all other records pertaining to past and present students) are closed for 75 years from the date of record creation or until decease of the individual, whichever comes first. All requests for student records are routed to the Office of the Registrar.
- All Personnel records (search, review, promotion, reappointment, tenure, and disciplinary/grievance records) are closed for 75 years from the date of separation or until decease of the individual, whichever comes first. All requests for Personnel records are routed to the Human Resources Office.
- Access to all other records is at the discretion of the current senior officer of the college department or office of origin, and/or the campus President or Dean. Considerations governing the disclosure of such records include but are not limited to issues of privacy, when the disclosure of information would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy or a libel of a living person; records containing confidential business and financial information; and when restricted by statute, executive order, court order, or due to attorney-client or other privilege.
- All media requests to access material in the College Archives must be submitted to the college’s Director of Communications.
- Access to the Archives is by appointment only. Requests to access the Archives should be directed to the Archives Librarian (505-984-6043 ).
- The Archives Librarian will provide reference services in the Archives. Resources permitting, the Archives will conduct research on behalf of researchers, and reasonable fees will be charged for this service. Charges apply whether or not an actual record is found. Please contact the Archives Librarian with questions.
- Physical archival records are restricted to onsite use at Meem Library. Instructions for proper handling of material in these collections will be provided and must be followed at all times.
- Resources permitting, the Archives will undertake limited copying on behalf of researchers, and reasonable fees will be charged for this service. All copies, whether made by library staff or researchers, must be made in accordance with copyright law, Archival procedures, and concern for the physical preservation of records.
- Patrons are permitted in the Archives only when accompanied by a Meem Library staff librarian.
- No food or drink is permitted in the Archives.
- Filming and taking photographs are not permitted in the Archives without prior permission.
- No materials are to be removed from the Archives without the permission and knowledge of a Meem Library staff librarian.
- The Archives may limit the access of an individual who has demonstrated careless or destructive behaviors that endanger the safety of its collections or who has violated its policies or regulations.
Rights, Permissions, and Fees
Permission for access to materials from the Archives, or the provision of reproductions of material from the Archives by the library, including when a fee is charged for staff time and materials, does not constitute permission for additional reproduction or publication. It is the responsibility of the user of the Archives to obtain explicit written copyright permission to reproduce or publish archival materials, including photos.
College records are the sole property of St. John’s College, which holds the copyright. Researchers may request permission to publish material to which the college owns copyright. Fees for permission for reproduction or publication will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, based on the nature of the request.
In cases where an item is physically owned by the Archives, but the copyright holder is not the college, or the copyright holder is unknown, the Archives cannot grant permission to publish. Users assume all responsibility for questions of copyright and/or invasion of privacy that may arise from copying and using Archival materials, including photographs. St. John’s College assumes no responsibility for infringement.
Deaccessions
To effectively maintain our collections, the Archives may transfer ownership of, or discard, duplicate materials, as well as materials which do not fall under the scope of our collection policy.
Materials selected for deaccessioning must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Materials do not fall within scope of collection policy.
- Materials are duplicates of materials already in the collection.
- Materials can no longer be maintained or preserved by the College Archives.
- Materials have deteriorated or degraded beyond use, and cannot be repaired, exhibited, or used by classes and researchers.
Donations
The Meem Library Archives collects materials that preserve the historical and cultural record of St. John’s College, as outlined in the Mission and Scope section of this policy. The Archives seeks donations that fit within the scope outlined in this policy. All donations are managed by the Archives Librarian and the Library Director, who will, at the time of donation, obtain from the donor their signature on a deed of gift, transferring legal ownership of the donated materials to the college.
For donations, please contact Library Director Jennifer Sprague (505-984-6041, ).