Contact Special Collections and University Archives with questions about records management, electronic records, web archiving, digital preservation, and searching and using archival records.
Some university records must be transferred to University Archives when they have met their retention conditions.
University Archives accepts documented and inventoried transfers of records in paper and electronic formats. Use the Collection Transfer Form and instructions and Inventory Template to begin the process. Return completed documentation to the University Archivist, who will appraise the records for inclusion in University Archives. University Archives staff will coordinate records delivery or pickup.
For more information, contact Special Collections and University Archives
University Archives serves as the collective memory of the University of Maryland. Established by the University of Maryland Libraries in 1972, the Archives is the official repository for all of the university's permanent records and actively gathers administrative files, university publications, photographs, audiovisual materials, theses & dissertations, and athletics memorabilia that document all aspects of campus life.
The University Archivist, in addition to following requirements of the University Records Schedule, appraises records transferred from campus units according to the Collection Development Policy Statement for University Archives (last updated January 2020). Appraisal refers to how archivists analyze social systems that produce records, establish criteria for valuing records, and make decisions based on those values. Archival appraisal involves deciding what to keep, what not to keep, and how often to review the decision-making criteria.
Archives staff generally discard these types of materials when processing collections:
