Archival Policies

TBD: These policies are out-of-date and need to be revised by the Mountaineers History Committee.

Acquisitions Policy

• Accept equipment and other artifacts only if related to a particular event and identified by date, individual user/owner and facts surrounding event.
• Accept all photographs and films dated prior to 1945. Attempt to obtain identification by place, time and individuals shown (if any).
• Accept significant photographs and films/videos dated after 1945 only if they can be identified by place, time, individuals shown (if any) and facts surrounding event.
• Accept all personal journals, manuscripts, trip logs, etc.
• Do not accept books, magazines and journals (other than Mountaineer Annuals and Bulletins, see below).
• Accept all Mountaineer Annuals and Bulletins.
• Accept ephemera if related to a particular event and identified by date, individual user/owner and facts surrounding event.
• Materials will be accepted only on the condition that the club has the right to reassign or dispose of donated materials as the club deems most suitable.
• To facilitate screening of artifacts, prospective donors should submit to the History Committee a photograph of each artifact to be donated, for evaluaton. This enables the Committee to determine whether the item is a suitable addition to Mountaineer collections. To contact the History Committee, click here.

Retentions Policy

• Mountaineer Annuals: Retain ten copies of each Mountaineer Annual prior to and including 1956.
• Retain six copies of each Mountaineer Annual subsequent to 1956.
• Evaluate condition of retained Annuals and when condition is deemed less than perfect attempt to obtain replacements by advertising in the Bulletin and soliciting donations.
• Equipment: Retain only if there will be display and storage space available within club facilities. Otherwise, attempt to place in other appropriate museums or collections.
• Photos, films, videos, personal journals, etc: Attempt to place all such materials in other appropriate museums or collections except in those cases where club member access would be overly restricted or where ongoing and repeated member use is expected.

In June 2008, the History Committee decided to temporarily increase the number of Annuals retained for each year by one. This decision is in anticipation of a future project to digitize the Mountaineer Annuals. Digitization may be a destructive process (requiring the bindings to be removed) and we decided to prepare for that possibility.