Accessioning College and University Publications: A Case Study

Abstract

Appraisal of printed and duplicated materials is an obvious primary responsibility of college and university archivists. Even after a sound appraisal of the long-term value of the publications has been made, however, the archivist faces another important decision. He must determine how best to obtain and accession those publications chosen for archival retention. Essentially two alternative methods are available. The first, based on traditional archival practice, is to establish schedules for periodic transfers of series of publications from the publishing office to the archives. The second is to collect current publications piecemeal through the use of a mailing list or by agreement with the publishing office. Most archivists would agree that the use of systematic records schedules offers a tested, practical method for acquiring many types of materials. On the other hand, college publishing offices often are unwilling or unable to preserve orderly series of publications. By the time the archivist discovers this problem, the publications may be scarce or unavailable. With this in mind, compelling arguments can be made for acquisition of current publications. Why should the archivist not preserve a valuable current record when it is abundant, rather than waiting until it becomes scarce? Will the archivist