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general information | donating materials | funding | advisory board | collections
Donating Materials to the AWTS
Types of Papers Collected | How to Donate a Collection | Care and Operation of the Archives
Types
of papers the AWTS collects
The mission of the AWTS is to provide access to the scholarly and personal
papers of prominent women who have reshaped theological education and
American church life since 1900, and to serve as the living memory and
documentary repository for materials pertaining to Christian women's movements
for progressive social change during the same period. In pursuit of this
aim, the archives collects, preserves and makes available for use several
kinds of records:
Personal records
Personal papers currently constitute the bulk of the AWTS's holdings.
These are the records created, received or accumulated by women in theological
scholarship and religious studies, church and other religious leaders,
and women involved in a range of social change movements. Personal papers
include correspondence, diaries, and other types of manuscript materials
that an individual creates or collects over her lifetime. Also included
are articles, books, and speeches by and about the donor, unpublished
research, legal records, scrapbooks, photographs, video and audio tapes
and significant material artifacts. Such files may relate to professional
or official positions, academic departments, volunteer or community activities,
participation in historic events, and to personal and family life.
Once they are received, collections are processed, indexed and made available for research use. Some materials, because of the private nature or sensitive topics they treat, are preserved but temporarily closed to research use. The staff is happy to discuss with the donor the advisability and duration of such restrictions.
Organizational records
Organizational records are another important pillar of the AWTS. The archives collects the papers of women's organizations, institutions, communities, and movements for progressive social change. Also of interest are organizations whose membership includes men and women but whose concerns are focused on the needs and interests of women. Organizational records include founding documents, minutes, membership lists, reports, correspondence, subject files, scrapbooks, photographs, financial records, conference and committee files, and publications of or about the organization.
The AWTS collects the records of currently active organizations as well
as historical organizations that are no longer operational. These groups
may find it helpful to donate inactive files at regular intervals. Members
still have access to their records and occasional photocopies of documents
can be provided when needed, but the organization itself is relieved of
the burden of storage and the servicing of research requests. Organizational
records can be open without restriction once they have been processed;
organizations, however, like individuals, may restrict access to their
papers.
Other materials
The Archives of Women in Theological Scholarship collects secondary materials
which document the evolution of women's roles in religious life and the
development of scholarly work by women in theology and religious studies.
These include publications and records in the fields of women in theology
and religion, catalogs, newsletters, pamphlets and announcements, documentaries,
films, photographs and slides which are deemed to have long-term historical
value, and audio and videotapes.
A collection may be donated in one or several parts. Donors do not need to sort or discard papers before donating them; if they wish to do so, it is preferable that they contact the AWTS before beginning. It is helpful to the archivist to receive materials in the order which they were used or stored; furthermore, items that the donor considers unimportant may have significant value in light of the library's other holdings.
After working with donors to identify materials to be donated, the AWTS will arrange for the papers or records to be transported to the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary. Legal transfer of the documents from the donor to the AWTS occurs when the donor reviews and signs a gift agreement formally making the collection part of the library's holdings. During the processing and indexing of the materials, if staff find items that do not belong at the library, those items will be returned to the donor or disposed of in accordance with the donor's wishes.
Restrictions on access
Sensitive materials may be found within collections. AWTS staff will discuss with donors the possibility of restricting parts of a collection to protect the privacy of the donor or others.
Copyright
Copyright is the right to publish quotations from published works or unpublished papers. When no other agreement about copyright has been made, this right belongs to the author of the manuscript material during her lifetime and for fifty years thereafter; each researcher who wishes to publish a quotation must obtain permission from the author or her heirs.
Monetary appraisals for tax deductions
Gifts of personal papers by the creator or recipient are not currently tax-deductible. In certain unique circumstances, however, it may be possible for a donor to take a tax deduction for the donation of a manuscript collection. Donors are encouraged to speak to their tax accountants or attorneys about this possibility. By law, AWTS staff cannot give tax advice or appraise the monetary value of a collection. It is the donor's responsibility to arrange for and bear the cost of any appraisal.
Care and Operation of the Archives
Care of the
collection
Collections are kept in an environmentally controlled, secure area of
the Burke
Library at Union Theological
Seminary. They do not circulate outside of the library and are generally
used in a supervised reading room.
To provide research access, collections are arranged and described by experienced, professional archivists. They prepare descriptive guides and inventories that are used by researchers to select materials for study. To provide information about the collection, details of the description are submitted to international library databases, increasingly accessible via the Internet. Detailed information about processed AWTS collections is available on-line.
Some collections may contain materials that are physically deteriorating and in need of treatment to endure their long-term preservation. If necessary, the library's professional conservators are able to suggest and provide appropriate treatment.
Operation of the AWTS
The AWTS is administered by the Head Archivist who reports to the Director
of the Burke Library. A full-time professional archivist and a part-time
project coordinator also work exclusively with this project. The Archives
of Women in Theological Scholarship Advisory
Board provides oversight to the Archives, approving of plans for fundraising,
collection development, outreach/publicity, and internal project and policy
development.
To discuss donation of a collection of personal or organizational papers to the Archives of Women in Theological Scholarship, please contact Claire McCurdy, Director of the Burke Library Archives, at 212-280-1502.