The University Archives is the repository on the IU Bloomington campus primarily responsible for collecting the personal papers of prominent Indiana University faculty and staff. The personal papers of faculty and staff provide a rich source for historical research. If you are interested in discussing the transfer of your papers, please contact Dina Kellams, University Archivist at (812) 855-2323, or by e-mail at dmkellam@indiana.edu

The following guidelines will assist faculty and staff in identifying those portions of their files that are appropriate for transfer to the Archives. This list is by no means definitive or exhaustive. It is intended as a general approximation of materials that reflect and illuminate the careers of Indiana University faculty and staff members. Materials not specifically cited below that contribute toward documenting faculty and staff careers are, of course, welcome. Please also see our fuller collection policy at https://libraries.indiana.edu/university-archives-collection-policy

Papers commonly transferred to the Archives include, but are not limited to, the following materials:

  • Biographical material (Resumes, vitae, bibliographies, biographical and autobiographical sketches, chronologies, genealogies, and newspaper clippings)
  • Departmental and committee records (agendas, minutes, reports, correspondence and related material)
  • Correspondence
    • Official: outgoing (copies and/or drafts) and incoming letters and memoranda generated in the course of conducting university business
    • Professional: outgoing and incoming letters relating to all facets of one's academic career, including correspondence with colleagues, publishers, professional organizations and students
    • Personal: letters to and from friends, relatives and business associates
  • Diaries and journals
  • Classroom material (Lecture notes, syllabi, course outlines and examinations)
  • Research files (Outlines, research designs, raw data, notes, analyses and reports of findings)
  • Drafts and manuscripts of articles, books, reviews and speeches
  • Audiovisual material
  • Photographs

Documents which generally should not be transferred without prior consultation with the Archivist include:

  1. Detailed financial records;
  2. Non-personally addressed mail and routine letters of transmittal and acknowledgment (i.e., "Junk Mail");
  3. Duplicates and multiple copies of publications, course materials; all other duplicate material;
  4. Publications readily available through libraries and booksellers;
  5. Plaques and bulky awards;
  6. Reference collections of books, research papers, journal articles, and reprints written by other persons. 
WHEN IN DOUBT, PLEASE DO NOT THROW IT OUT! CONTACT THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES!