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Policy Statement


Criteria

The Special Collections & Archives will select, preserve and promote collections which fall into the following categories:

 

CATEGORY 1 (Institutional Archives)

  • Archival material which relates to the history of the College at Old Westbury

 

CATEGORY 2 (Faculty & Student Manuscripts)

  • Books, publications or personal papers of individuals, families, civic groups and organizations that may or may not be associated with the university. These are distinguished from university records because they were not created in the course of employment or service to the university, but are of a more personal nature and often reflect the scholarly pursuits of the individual.

 

 Access & Use

Special Collections & Archives collection are non-circulating and available to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the general public for use by appointment only. There is no charge to view materials from the collections.

No eating, drinking, or chewing gum is permitted. Users must exercise caution when handling materials from the collections. Only laptops and pencils may be used for taking notes.

Digital photography may be allowed at the discretion of the appropriate staff. No flash photography is allowed.

Collections

Materials in Old Westbury Library Special Collections & Archives focus on the SUNY Old Westbury history. We collect monographs, periodicals, pamphlets and other ephemera, audio and video materials, photographs, maps, and manuscripts.

Old Westbury Library Special Collections & Archives also houses and preserves SUNY Old Westbury University Archives.

The Special Collections & Archives do not collect official records and do not have oversight of, or management of, department or unit records. Information about records management at SUNY Old Westbury can be found here  or by searching the college's website for "records retention policy."

 

Donations & Deed of Gift


Donations

Gifts of books, photographs, videos, and miscellaneous materials (e.g. pamphlets, manuscripts, souvenirs and memorabilia are welcome. We are particularly interested in the following:

  • Any historic material related to the F. Ambrose Clark Estate and surrounding area of the Old Westbury campus.

  • SUNY Old Westbury faculty & student publications

  • Materials that document SUNY Old Westbury’s history.

 

Due to the high cost of processing donations and space limitations, the Library reserves the right to decline gift offers at its sole discretion.

All materials donated become the property of the library which has the right to determine their ultimate destination. As a state institution due to legal restrictions, we are prohibited from providing appraisals of donated materials for IRS purposes. If  a monetary value needs to be determined donors should consult with a qualified appraiser prior to donation.

Any persons interested in donating materials should contact the digital librarian, devirgilioc@oldwestbury.edu or the library director, digregorioa@oldwestbury.

 

 Deed of Gift

A Deed of Gift will need to be completed and signed by the donor/s and the Library Archives librarian prior to arrival of the materials. A Deed of Gift is a legal document that transfers ownership of donated materials from the donor/s to SUNY Old Westbury Library. The form can be downloaded here. Deed of Gift