Policies and Procedures
Mount St. Mary's Archives and Department of Special Collections collects, arranges, stores, preserves and makes available the records of the university, its founders, faculty, supporters and alumni, as well as the community of which it is a part. The Archives maintains the historical record of the founding, development and growth, philosophy, purposes, and significant decisions, activities, programs, and policies of the university.
The Archives collects records documenting the activities, decisions, policies and programs of faculty departments and administrative offices. The Archives also collects the personal papers of prominent officers, faculty and alumni. It serves as a resource for information on the history of the university, the local community, and practice of Catholicism in Maryland in general and northwestern Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania in particular. The Archives collects artwork and artifacts associated with the university and its faculty, alumni and supporters, and with the history and practice of Catholicism.
Records are defined as all recorded information regardless of format or medium. This includes, but is not limited to, paper documents, publications, posters, ephemera, microforms, photographs, audiovisual material, artifacts, textiles and electronic records.
Reference materials are those items that are acquired and retained by the Archives for informational purposes only. These may include contemporary published sources, indices or microform copies of resources. Archival materials are those materials that are acquired and maintained for both informational and artifactual purposes.
Items may be acquired through transfer from university offices and departments, or by donations from individuals or organizations. Donated items will be accepted for the collection provided the following conditions are met:
- The items are relevant to and consistent with the mission and activities of the Archives
- The Archives is able to provide the storage, security and preservation of the items under consideration in a manner that ensures their availability for research and use, in accordance with generally accepted professional standards for Archives
Mount St. Mary’s Archives and Department of Special Collections actively pursues the acquisition of:
- The recorded documentation, in paper, microform, electronic, audiovisual or any other format and medium, of the actions, decisions, policies and programs of the university. This includes governing bodies, officers, committees, faculty departments and administrative office records
- Substantial publications, reports and audiovisual items created by the university for documentation and distribution, including website records
- Memorabilia and artifacts holding special commemorative or documentary significance for the university and its faculty and alumni
- Personal papers of and books written by faculty, staff and alumni
- Personal papers of prominent supporters
- Religious artwork and artifacts of significance or related to the history of the university
- Artwork created by alumni, faculty and staff, or local residents and artists with a significant relationship with the university
- Items documenting the activities and accomplishments of the alumni and faculty
In order to meet information needs adequately and to place the historic records into proper context, the Archives also collects items in the following areas:
- Local history and genealogy, in particular, northern Frederick County, Md., and southern Adams County, Pa.
- Works of significance on American Catholic theology, ethics and philosophy published more than 75 years ago
- The history and practice of Catholicism in western Maryland and south-central Pennsylvania
- Significant works on the history and practice of Catholicism in Maryland published more than 75 years ago
- Significant works on the history and practice of American Catholicism published more than 75 years ago
Before donating any historical material to Mount St. Mary's, please contact the archivist to verify that the items fall within the Archives' collection policy. Archival institutions cooperate among themselves to ensure that historic material is placed in the most appropriate repository for the benefit of those who use these resources, the researchers. If the items you wish to donate do not fall under the collection policy of Mount St. Mary's Archives, the archivist will be able to help you find the most appropriate repository for the material, if you still wish to donate it to an institution where it will be preserved and made accessible to researchers.
If the items you wish to donate come under the Archives' collection policy, the archivist will ask you to complete and sign a deed of gift. Materials given to the Archives by a donor cannot be accessioned into the collection until a proper deed of gift is executed. The deed of gift formally transfers legal ownership of the donated materials to the Archives. The deed of gift can be downloaded, completed and forwarded along with the donation to
Mount St. Mary's Archives and Dept. of Special Collections
Mount St. Mary's University
16300 Old Emmitsburg Road
Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Or the form can be obtained by contacting the archivist at 301-447-5397.
Materials loaned to or deposited with the Archives will be accepted only under extraordinary circumstances, and with the understanding that the materials will be donated to the Archives at a specified date or in the event of the owner's death. Archives staff will not process, provide archival or museum housing, or create finding guides to the materials unless financial support is provided by the owner. A deposit agreement specifying access policies and circumstances for permanent transfer of ownership must be executed before the materials are accepted into the Archives.
To Originating Office
If information cannot be provided by photocopies or a visit to the Archives, items may be loaned back to an authorized representative of the originating office after a loan form is completed.
Artwork
The display of the Mount's collection of artwork is encouraged, and offices may borrow works after completing a loan form. All artwork not on display must be returned to the Archives.
Books
Items from the rare book collection may never be loaned out, and must be used in the Archives to ensure their physical safety and proper care and handling.
Ecclesiastical Artifacts
Ecclesiastical artifacts may be loaned out to authorized representatives of the university for special occasions, but must be returned as soon as possible. Each loan is recorded on a form. Call the seminary director of liturgy if there are any problems or questions.
For Exhibits
Items may be lent for on-campus exhibits. The archivist must deliver the materials and ensure that proper security measures are observed. If security is deemed inadequate, the archivist must refuse the loan of materials.
For off-site exhibits, the archivist may grant permission for the loan of unrestricted materials and facsimiles to other research institutions provided that the materials are properly shipped, displayed under proper environmental conditions, and protected by adequate security. Permission will be denied to institutions whose policies and facilities do not meet acceptable standards. Expenses must be assumed by the borrowing institution, and proper credit given to Mount St. Mary's Archives.
Photoduplication
The Archives will consider requests for the photoduplication of material when such duplication can be done without injury to the material, does not violate copyright restrictions, and does not overwhelm the resources of the Archives. Researchers are not permitted to photocopy archival materials themselves. Instead, researchers should tag documents to be photocopied with document markers supplied by the Archives. For small orders, the Archives charges outside researchers 25 cents per page; large orders will be taken to the university's print shop and charged at cost. The Archives charges a fee of 10 cents per page for photocopies made for the purposes of internal research by staff, faculty, or students. The higher fee applies to outside researchers and genealogy requests.
Reproducing Photographs
Fees for photographic reproduction for personal use:
- If a negative exists: $5 + cost of photograph
- If no negative exists: $5 + cost of creating a negative + cost of photograph (the Archives retains the negative)
Fees for digital images produced on photographic paper:
- $25 for an 8"x10" image
- $30 for an 11"x"14 image
Fees for scanning for personal use:
- CD-ROM: $15
- Diskette: $10
Publication fee for all media: $25 per image. Permission will be granted for a one-time, non-exclusive use only
