Your Your Legacy:Legacy:

Selecting and Selecting and Preserving Your Preserving Your Department’s Department’s

History in the Rush History in the Rush University Medical University Medical Center ArchivesCenter Archives

What is the Archives?What is the Archives?

The Archives is theThe Archives is thehistorical voicehistorical voice

of Rush University of Rush University Medical Center Medical Center

and its and its predecessor predecessor institutionsinstitutions

The Archives Assists Clients with The Archives Assists Clients with Reference QuestionsReference Questions

• External clientsExternal clients– GenealogistsGenealogists– AuthorsAuthors– HistoriansHistorians– StudentsStudents

• Internal clients from RushInternal clients from Rush– Faculty, students, and staffFaculty, students, and staff

• Reference ServicesReference Services– Locate sources in our Locate sources in our

collectioncollection– Photocopies and photo Photocopies and photo

reproductionsreproductions

The Archives interprets history for The Archives interprets history for the publicthe public

Interpretive exhibits in Interpretive exhibits in four campus locationsfour campus locations

Presentations Presentations on historical on historical topicstopics

The Archives Collects and The Archives Collects and Preserves Rush HistoryPreserves Rush History

Paper materialsPaper materials

PhotographsPhotographs

ArtifactsArtifacts

What does the Archives What does the Archives need?need?

• Items that tell the story of…Items that tell the story of…– How your department developed over How your department developed over

timetime– How/when/where you made major How/when/where you made major

decisionsdecisions– Departmental and individual Departmental and individual

accomplishmentsaccomplishments– Plans that weren’t successfulPlans that weren’t successful– The ordinary daily operations and roles of The ordinary daily operations and roles of

your departmentyour department

Which items Which items tell the tell the

best stories?best stories?1.1. Meeting minutesMeeting minutes

2.2. Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual ReportsMonthly, Quarterly, and Annual Reports

3.3. Publications/handoutsPublications/handouts

4.4. PhotographsPhotographs

5.5. Memoirs, personal remembrancesMemoirs, personal remembrances

6.6. Artifacts and memorabilia with noted significanceArtifacts and memorabilia with noted significance

The Archives limits its The Archives limits its acceptance of …acceptance of …

DuplicatesDuplicates

DraftsDrafts

ArtifactsArtifacts

Items outside our Items outside our collection scopecollection scope

The Transfer ProcessThe Transfer Process

1.1. Call an Archivist for advice on Call an Archivist for advice on non-active recordsnon-active records

– When in doubt, ask us before you When in doubt, ask us before you dispose of recordsdispose of records

– We can tell you what we have and what We can tell you what we have and what we still need from your departmentwe still need from your department

2.2. Complete transfer form and Complete transfer form and arrange pickuparrange pickup

What Happens Next?What Happens Next?

• Archives staff Archives staff processes the materialsprocesses the materials1. Weed out duplicates/ 1. Weed out duplicates/

items outside of scopeitems outside of scope2. Perform preservation 2. Perform preservation

work on materialswork on materials3. Sort items into 3. Sort items into

collections and seriescollections and series4. Create finding aid guide 4. Create finding aid guide

to materials/ add to our to materials/ add to our automated databaseautomated database

What can you do today?

Identify materials that tell the story of your Identify materials that tell the story of your departmentdepartment

Designate a safe storage location, and Designate a safe storage location, and gather preservation materials togethergather preservation materials together

Contact the Archives regularly for transfer Contact the Archives regularly for transfer of materialsof materials

What you save today determines What you save today determines what we know tomorrowwhat we know tomorrow