Swem Library's wonderful special collections are due to the generosity of many people who have given personal or family papers, organizational papers, treasured books, and other items over the years. We continue to rely primarily on donations to build our collections. We would welcome donations within our present collecting interests. Please be aware that we reserve the right to dispose of donated materials that we do not deem appropriate to add to our collections for any of a variety of reasons, such as not fitting in with our collection policy, poor condition, duplication of items already in our collections, etc. When appropriate, we will try to find another repository to take the items.
These guides may be helpful to you:
| The University Archives and Personal Papers of Faculty and Staff | |
| 10 Tips for Preserving Your Group's History | |
| The Society of American Archvists' A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository | |
| The Society of American Archivists' A Guide to Donating Your Organizational Records to a Repository |
If you have items that fit the collecting criteria below that you would like to discuss donating to Swem Library, please contact:
| For William and Mary-related materials, Amy Schindler, University Archivist, at 757-221-3094 or acschi@wm.edu | |
| For other materials, Bea Hardy, Director of the SCRC, at 757-221-3054 or bbhard@wm.edu |
We are looking for a variety of formats (letters, diaries, journals, photographs, rare books, ephemera, audiovisual, electronic, etc.) documenting:
| 1. 20th-century wars and social movements, including civil rights, with a focus on Virginia and alumni | |
| 2. History of the Tidewater and Southside and their diverse peoples, businesses, and organizations | |
| 3. History of Virginia | |
| 4.Chesapeake Bay environmental organizations and activists | |
| 5. History of the College of William and Mary, including student life and the activities and careers of its alumni |
We primarily are interested in collections rather than single items, unless they are more substantive single items, such as diaries or ledgers. We also are looking to build on collections we already have, including rare book collections, such as the Chapin-Horowitz Dog Book Collection, the Wark Fore-edge Painting Book Collection, etc.
We are not interested in collections that primarily consist of photocopies or other materials reproduced from the collections of other institutions. We also do not accept donations that are moldy, insect-ridden, or otherwise in bad shape, unless they are of extraordinary intellectual value. We no longer accept collections on deposit.
