Collection Policies

Programs Supported by the Collections

1. Research

Materials collected and made available shall further the research of all scholars exploring the history of Franklin and Marshall College and the surrounding region.  In order to support all levels of research, Archives and Special Collections shall seek to provide exhaustive resources on the history of Franklin and Marshall College and the greater Susquehanna Valley.

2. Preservation

Crucial to the ongoing operation of Archives and Special Collections is the preservation of research materials.  Collections are stored in accordance to established archival techniques in a secure, climate-controlled environment.  All collections are non-circulating, and may not be removed from the reading room. In addition, all visitors must register upon arrival, and agree to written guidelines governing the use and handling of the collections.

Digital records are migrated from obsolete media and formats. Records on deteriorating media are digitized. All records in digital form are stored following digital preservation best practices.

3. Exhibitions

Archives and Special Collections hosts both traditional and web based exhibits on a rotating basis.  Exhibitions are prepared by library staff, and feature rare books, archival materials, and manuscript collections.

4. Outreach

Archives and Special Collections seeks to further the use and development of the collections through an ongoing series of exhibitions, publications, tours, and web based resources.  Information about the collections is available in the Franklin and Marshall online catalog, on the Archives and Special Collections website, and through regional and national directories such as Archives Finder and the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections.

5. Acquisitions

Archives and Special Collections acquires materials through donation, loan, and purchase.  Donation of materials is essential in supporting the mission of the institution, and the support of donors is consistently pursued.  Grant funding for special projects is also sought when such projects will contribute to the appraisal, arrangement, exhibition, or preservation of the collections.

• African American History
• Art of the Book
• Artists' Books
• Autographs
• Classical Literature
• Exploration - 19th Century
• Franklin & Marshall Academy History
• Franklin & Marshall College History
• German American Imprints
• History of Science
• Incunabula
• Items relating to Benjamin Franklin
• Items relating to John Marshall
• Jewish American History
• Lexicography
• Lincolniana
• Literary Papers
• Local History, Lancaster City, PA
• Local History, Lancaster County, PA
• Military History
• Miniature Books
• Napoleonana
• Pennsylvania Civil War History
• Pennsylvania German Culture
• Theater, Television, and Film
• Women's History

Archives & Special Collections includes materials of the following types/formats:

• Autographs
• Born-digital records (including but not limited to photographs, emails, videos, and word processing documents)
• Broadsides
• Correspondence (personal and professional)
• Diaries/ Journals
• Drafts of creative works
• Films/ Videotapes
• Financial Records
• Fraktur
• Legal Records
• Maps
• Memoirs/ Reminiscences
• Microfilm/Microform
• Newsletters
• Organizational Publications
• Office Files
• Oral History Tapes/ Transcripts
• Pamphlets/ Brochures
• Photographs
• Postcards
• Posters
• Prints
• Rare Books
• Reports
• Scrapbooks
• Sheet Music
• Sound Recordings
• Speeches/ Lectures

The policy of Archives and Special Collections is to make materials available to researchers on equal terms, subject to appropriate care and handling by the researcher.

1.  Faculty/Staff

College faculty and staff, as well as visiting scholars, are welcome to use Archives and Special Collections with proper registration.

2.  Graduate and Undergraduate Students

Resident undergraduate students, as well as visiting students, are welcome to use Archives and Special Collections with proper registration.

3.  Alumni

Graduates of Franklin and Marshall College, as well as Franklin and Marshall Academy, are welcome to use Archives and Special Collections with proper registration.

4.  Public

Members of the public are welcome to use Archives and Special Collections with proper registration.

1.  Present Identified Strengths

Strengths of Archives and Special Collections include the German-American Imprint Collection, the Napoleon Collection, the Herbert Rawnsley Autograph Collection, the Franklin J. Schnaffer Collection, the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association Collection, the World War I Poster Collection, the Reynolds Family Collection, the Mifflin Family Collection, and the Franklin and Marshall College Archives.

2.  Present Collecting Priorites

In addition to building upon its existing strengths, Archives and Special Collections seeks to develop its collections in the following subject areas:

• Agricultural History of Pennsylvania
• Antarctic and Pacific Exploration
• Benjamin Franklin Monographs, Pamphlets, and Imprints
• Civil Rights Literature
• Fore-edge painting
• History of Physics and Mathematics
• Illustrated Literature
• Miniature Books
• Ornithology

1.  Deed of Gift

Archives and Special Collections will not accept materials without a deed of gift.  Please see the Archives and Special Collections Gift Policy for further information.

2.  Closed Collections and Collections on Loan

Archives and Special Collections will not accept collections of materials that are closed to public access in perpetuity. In addition, Archives and Special Collections will not accept collections on temporary or permanent loan.

3.  Public Exhibitions

Archives and Special Collections reserves the right to include unrestricted materials in exhibition displays and publications in accordance with accepted archival procedures and practices.

4.  Exhibition Loans

Materials will be loaned to other libraries and museums when conditions for exhibition are favorable to the policies of Franklin and Marshall College Libraries. Written approval by the College Archivist will be granted upon the satisfactory demonstration of proper insurance coverage, transportation, and environmental monitoring.

Duplicates and materials that do not reflect the subject areas and/or types of materials collected by Archives and Special Collections may be deaccessioned according to established guidelines, and offered to more appropriate institutions.