Transferring Materials to the University Archives

The University Archives is the official repository for the permanent, historical records of the University. The staff of the University Archives has designed this step-by-step guide to assist you in transferring records to the Archives and to answer frequently asked questions about what material the Archives accepts, how to store records there, and how to access records once they are in the Archives.

What Records to I Send to the Archives?

All University Records that have met the official retention schedule (RDA) and are scheduled for permanent preservation may be sent to the Archives. The disposition of a records series is noted on the Records Retention/Disposition Authorization (RDA). See the Records Schedules page for information on preparing an RDA.

State Records Center vs. UW Archives

While it acts as the liaison between campus departments and the State Records Center, the Archives does not itself accept inactive records for short-term storage. Many campus offices make the mistake of thinking that the Records Center and the University Archives are one and the same. In fact, the Records Center is a separate, off-campus, state facility that offers inactive records storage not only to the University of Wisconsin but to many other state agencies. For information please consult How do I use the State Records Center?

Step 1. Preparing Records for Transfer to the Archives

1. Discard any blank forms
2. Remove duplicate copies of documents; one copy is sufficient
3. Discard convenience copies of publications, reports, memos, etc., for which your office was not the originator or the office of record
4. Discard materials that have no informational value, such as, envelopes, route slips, phone messages, and illegible notes
5. Remove rubber bands and paper clips; use staples
6. Remove materials from ring binders and hanging folders and place in file folders; maintain the original order of the records. If more than one folder is needed label as follows, for example, "folder 1 of 2," "folder 2 of 2," etc.

Step 2. Order Supplies

Boxes

All records sent to the University Archives must be packed in approved Records Center cartons. A standard Records Center box holds approximately one cubic foot of records and will accommodate both letter and legal files. See How Do I Use the State Records Center for more information on ordering boxes. If your records require odd-size containers, contact the Archives to discuss alternative boxing and storage arrangements.

Forms

Transfer and inventory information can be sent to the Archives by email or on a paper copy. Please use the Records Transmittal and Inventory Form (UWA-1) and include all the items on the form at the beginning of your inventory.

Step 3. Pack Records in Boxes and Label

Packing Boxes

The records should be packed in the cartons in the same arrangement as they appeared in the file drawer; records must not be removed from their original file folders and/or jackets, nor should any portion of the records be discarded unless so stipulated by the governing records schedule. For general guidelines, see step #1 above. Note that letter-size folders fit in the cartons front to back and legal size fit side to side.

NOTE: Disks, cds, dvds, etc. should not be packed inside cartons with paper records. Separate handling of these media is required for adequate preservation. If you have electronic media to transfer, please contact the Archives.

All boxes of a given records series are to be numbered consecutively.

Boxes must NOT be over packed. Enough space should remain inside the box so that records can be retrieved and so the handles of the box may be used properly. Over packing causes the boxes to split and collapse. When the records center cartons are packed properly, they are easy to handle and contents can easily be removed for reference. Offices should be mindful of health and safety regulations regarding weight. If the type of material to be transferred is of a nature that a full box could weigh 35 pounds or more, the boxes should not be packed full, and alternative containers may be advisable.

Labeling Boxes

The records center carton has a label form printed on one end of the box, and each box must be clearly labeled as to office of origin, contents, and dates. It is strongly recommended that only one records series be placed in a box. If two records series must be placed in the same box, the box label must indicate that fact clearly. In addition, the two series must have the same retention period and the same final disposition.

Example: STATE RECORDS CENTER

Agency 285A-UW-Madison Box No. 1
Division L & S -German Department
Beg. End Dates 1980-1985
Title of Record Series Administrative Correspondence and Policy Making
RDA No. 00569000
From 1-1-1980 Thru 12-31-1985

Step 4. Complete the Archives Transmittal Form

Here are instructions for completing each part of the form.

1. Name of Transmitting Office: Your department/office name.
2. Title and Dates of Records: Title by which this group of records is commonly known. (It should agree with the title shown on the RDA.) Include the inclusive dates of records in this shipment.
3. Volume of Records: The total number of cubic feet in the shipment. A standard record center carton is one cubic foot, so total volume will normally equal the number of cartons in the shipment.
4. RDA Number: The Records Retention/Disposition Authorization (RDA) covering the record series. This number can be found on the RDA form in the upper right hand corner. It is in the shaded area, labeled "Sequential #."
5. Comments: Things that do not fit anywhere else on the form. List any special conditions relating to the processing of, access to, or disposition of the records. The Archives, and others in your office, will be using this form to retrieve the records years from now, so any comments about peculiarities in the records or the transmittal will aid retrieval in the future by those unfamiliar with the contents.
6.- 9. Full Name of Person Preparing Shipment; Office Address; Telephone; Email Address: Name and phone number of person packing the boxes, and preparing this inventory. We may need to contact you--and need more than just a first name. This person must be a permanent employee of the department.
10. UDDS:
11. Date of Transmittal:
12. Do these records contain... These entries serve to alert the Archives when the records contain materials that are not open records or that contain confidential information under Wisconsin law.

Inventory Section: List the contents of each records storage carton. Normally, this will be a listing of the folder headings, although that is not necessary in all cases. Inventories should be detailed enough to enable your office's staff to identify a record they need to retrieve, and to enable the Archives staff to retrieve a requested file and return it to you.

Step 5. Send Boxes to University Archives

The inventory, either electronic or paper, must be sent to the Archives prior to records transfer. The Archives will verify the transfer information and then contact the office to make arrangements for physical transfer of the material.

Do NOT send records via campus mail or truck service without PRIOR AUTHORIZATION from the Archives. The Archives will need to know the total volume and the anticipated date and time of transfer.

After receiving the accession the Archives will send the transmitting office a copy of the first page of the Records Transmittal and Inventory with the Accession Number and Location indicated. You will need this information if you want to retrieve files. We suggest you keep a binder in your department that has the inventories and accession information readily available to all staff members.

Retrieving Records from the UW-Madison Archives

If you need to access records once they are in the University Archives, please call 262-5629. You will need to have the Accession Number, Location, Box Number and File Name and Number ready when you call. We can arrange delivery or you may access your material in the Archives Reading Room.

Returning Records to the Archives

If you have files that need to be refiled into an accession, please call 262-5629 to notify the Archives when and how they will arrive.

Other Records Questions

If you have other questions about University records, including what needs to kept and how long, disposal, using the State Records Center, etc., see the Records Management web site.

Faculty Papers and the University Archives

Faculty papers are fundamental to documenting the historical development of the University. The nature of academic institutions is such that individuals play a key role in shaping policy. Operational and departmental lines of authority are often blurred within the university and, given this institution's strong tradition of faculty governance, understanding and documenting the work of faculty members in all facets of the university is essential.

What Faculty Governance and Committee Records Do We Collect?

We emphasize collecting those records which are particularly important to the history of the university, and we seek your assistance (especially from departmental and committee chairs and others serving in administrative capacities) in collecting materials such as

• standing and ad hoc faculty committee chair's files
• departmental executive committee meeting minutes and actions
• divisional committee minutes and actions
• departmental faculty meeting minutes
• departmental chair correspondence and subject files
• course proposals

What Else Should Faculty Members Retain for the Archives?

We urge that those faculty members who have made major contributions to their discipline and/or to the university to contact the Archives. We are particularly interested in materials that

• document an individual's career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• expand on the faculty member's relationships with his or her colleagues in the academic discipline at other institutions
• preserve a record of committee responsibilities or other activities within the university community
• support research discoveries or projects
• document teaching (e.g., one copy of lecture notes, syllabi, course outlines, reading lists, exams and correspondence with students)

Materials may be in a variety of types and formats (including electronic) including some of all of the following: correspondence and subject files, reports (whether printed or not), diaries, photographs and slides, lab notebooks, scrapbooks, sound recordings, and artifacts.

What Doesn't the Archives Collect from Faculty?

A depository for primary source documents, the University Archives generally does not collect secondary or published materials. While many faculty members have extensive reprint or book collections, unless items are of unusual significance (e.g. annotated by a major scholar in the field) the Archives does not retain them. We urge faculty members to work with the General Library System, their departmental library, or with their professional associations to find appropriate homes for their reprint or book collections.

Nor do we generally collect materials related to people's personal or family lives, including such things as personal financial records, cancelled checks, or correspondence with family and children. Other documents are captured directly from the relevant offices, so we are not interested in student academic information, grades, class rosters, etc. We also have limited facilities for preserving large artifacts or memorabilia.

Naturally, each case is different. A person whose career spanned several institutions may wish to consolidate his or her collection in a single place; at times a professional society may offer a more appropriate repository. A faculty member's personal and family papers may be so closely related to his or her career that it is best to maintain the entire collection in the University Archives.

So if you are uncertain about whether to incorporate a particular record item with your papers, or if you have questions about an appropriate repository, please contact the University Archives. We are always happy to advise you about the disposition of your papers.

When in doubt, please don't throw it out! Contact the Archives first.

How Does One Prepare Materials for Transfer to the Archives?

The materials must be packed in State Records Center storage cartons (Materials Distribution Service # Stock No. 3189) and accompanied by a completed University Archives Information Resources Inventory form. The material, if paper records, must be in file folders (please do not send hanging files; transfer the material to labeled manila folders), along with an inventory.

hat are Faculty Obligations for Records Scheduling?

In Wisconsin, all state agencies are required to file a records schedule or Records Retention Disposition Authorization with the Public Records Board prior to disposing of any records. Administrative and research records may need to be scheduled (appraised to determine appropriate retention and disposition decisions). Traditionally, the faculty papers at this institution have been treated as personal property, not institutional property, and have not required scheduling.

What About Your Research Records?

Research records can be quite complex and voluminous. They are of value both to support continuing research and to document past accomplishments. The University Archives will--within the limits of its limited resources--provide assistance to faculty members in the disposition of research materials. Scheduling research records so that they can be legally stored off site can be very beneficial both to the creating office and to the Archives in its efforts to preserve materials of enduring value.

Some legal obligations to retain research records may apply. Faculty policies relating to misconduct in scholarly research (Faculty Legislation, II, 314) obligate the university to investigate claims for a period of seven years. In addition, funding agencies and professional associations my have retention requires for research records.

If you have any questions regarding your records, please call the Archives at 608 262-5629, email, or visit us at Room 425 Steenbock Library.

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