Collecting Policy

The University Archives and Historical Collections (UAHC) collects the official historical records of Michigan State University, including records created by Board of Trustees, departments, offices, programs, and committees, as well as the material of individual faculty, staff, students, student groups, and alumni.  There is also a focus in collecting local history and material related to the campus environs.  The formats collected include papers, audio, film, video, photographs, scrapbooks, and digital files.

Where the UAHC collecting policy overlaps with the collecting policy of other institutions or MSU units, we will work to ensure the material is deposited in the most appropriate place for access and care of the collection.

Records that do not correspond with this policy may occasionally be collected if/when there is a clear connection to MSU’s mission or activities.  The UAHC Director and the UAHC Collections Committee will decide exceptions to this policy.

The UAHC generally does not collect published materials (e.g. books and periodicals), three dimensional objects, copies of materials held by other institutions, collections that the UAHC cannot adequately preserve, or material in which the donor/creator does not grant access to the public.

Our Web Archiving Collection Development Plan documents the methodology for selecting and preserving MSU websites. We also collect non-MSU websites to complement our Michigan historical collections.