Mission Statement
Playing a lead role in the stewardship of Fairfield University's historical and cultural resources, the University Archives and Special Collections preserves and manages institutional records and distinctive artifacts for current researchers and future generations. With a strong commitment to outreach and access, we strive to actively engage with local and global communities to document and promote the impact and experiences of all those who are a part of the University's legacy.
University Archives
As the institutional memory of Fairfield University, the University Archives collects, preserves, arranges and describes records of enduring value from the founding of the University in 1942 to the present. We seek to document the ongoing stories of students, faculty, staff, administration and alumni in both physical and digital formats. This includes historical photographs, administrative documents, yearbooks, course catalogs, promotional materials and videos. We provide research and instruction services for the University as well as the broader research community.
Special Collections
The Library houses rare books and several unique collections including the Book of Kells facsimile, the Heritage Edition of the St. John's Bible, the John S. Sharnik Collection, the Nicholas B. Sheetz Celtic Collection, and the Walter J. Petry Collection-Nicaragua: the Sandinista Years (1979-1990). These distinctive collections are available for research and classroom use. The Book of Kells and the St. John's Bible are on permanent public display at the Library.
Authority Statement
The Archives is to be the depository for records of historical significance (as described in Section III), and the Archivist will be responsible for the transfer of such records from all University and Preparatory School offices and will carry out the duties as described in this document.
Records created by the University and the Preparatory School administrators and faculty in the performance of assigned duties are the property of Fairfield University. Such records are not to be destroyed without the approval of the person or persons responsible for the office where the records are maintained in consultation with the University Archivist and any other parties they may consider appropriate.
The University Archives is housed and administered by the DiMenna-Nyselius Library. Policies governing access to and use of archival materials will be in accordance with policies established by the Library, and will take into account any restrictions placed on access by the donor or originating office that have been accepted by the Library.
User Policies
The University Archives are not open to the public. Patrons wishing to use material from the Archives or the Special Collections must fill out a research Request Form available at the Library Services & Information Desk. Each patron should read the front of the form before filling it out. A completed form indicates familiarity with and acceptance of our policies and procedures. The patron will return the form with a University ID or Driver's License to the Librarian on duty. Clip the ID to the form and return the ID when the patron is finished with the material. When the material is returned, place it and the request form on the Archives shelf behind the Library Services & Information Desk for re-shelving.
Collection Policy
A. Appraisal
The University Archivist will be responsible for determining the historical and long-term research value of records and for selecting such records for retention in the Archives. Priority will be given to records which document the development and growth of the University; records which reflect the development and activities of those University offices and committees that cross departmental divisions and that formulate or approve University-wide policy, as well as faculty and administrative involvement in those activities; and records in immediate danger of loss or destruction and in need of temporary storage pending a decision on ultimate retention or disposal.
B. Appropriate Materials
The following will serve as a checklist of materials appropriate for active collection on the Archives, and will be reviewed annually.
University Materials
a. Minutes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports of the Board of Trustees.
b. Correspondence, subject files, and reports of the President.
c. Correspondence, subject files, and reports of the administrative heads of the University's five divisions.
d. Contribution records from the Vice President for Advancement.
e. Minutes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports of the several schools and academic departments, the general faculty, and regular, special, and ad hoc faculty committees.
f. Minutes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports of administrative and University-wide committees, regular, special, and ad hoc.
g. Official reports, periodic and special (including accreditation reports and supporting documentation, and auditors' reports).
h. Catalogs and bulletins, general and special, and recruiting materials.
i. Special publications (including press releases, calendars, posters, and notices of special events) and scrapbooks.
j. Student publications, including yearbooks and newspapers.
k. Records of student organizations and activities.
l. Records of the University Registrar, including class schedules, enrollment reports, graduation rosters, and other reports issued on a regular basis.
m. Records and publications of the Alumni Association and of the Alumni Relations Office.
n. Reports of the Admissions Office.
o. Reports of the Management Information Office.
p. Copies of successful grant proposals, following completion of project or termination of grant funding.
q. Schedules, programs, and publications of the Athletic Department.
r. Pictorial materials (including photographs, campus plans, building plans, renderings of campus buildings, and maps and plot plans) describing persons, buildings, and places relating to the University. NOTE: Individuals in photographs should be identified, if possible, before transfer to the Archives.
s. Non-University publications, on a selective basis, including but not limited to newspaper clippings and scrapbooks, pamphlets, and books dealing wholly or in part with Fairfield University.
t. Theses that are a component of graduate degree programs, or major research projects that fulfill graduate degree or undergraduate honors programs requirements.
u. Publications with the Fairfield University imprint.
v. Records of organizations associated with the University, such as advisory committees and friends groups.
w. Audiovisual materials which either document the history and activities of the University, are produced by the University and not included in Y below, or accompany theses.
x. Monographic publications and media productions by full-time faculty, administrators, and staff, produced during their employment at Fairfield University.
y. Artifacts relating to the history of the University, as determined by the University Archivist.
z. New England Province Catalogs of the Society of Jesus.
Preparatory School materials
a. Minutes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports of the Headmaster.
b. Minutes, memoranda, correspondence, and reports of the regular, special, and ad hoc faculty committees.
c. Official reports, periodic and special.
d. Catalogs and bulletins, general and special, and recruiting materials.
e. Student publications, including yearbooks and newspapers. f. Records of special events.
g. Pictorial materials (including photographs and building plans) describing persons, buildings, and places relating to the Preparatory School. Note: Individuals in photographs should be identified, if possible, before transfer to Archives.
h. Non-Preparatory School publications, including newspaper clippings, on a selective basis, that deal wholly or in part with the School.
i. Records of organizations associated with the Preparatory School, such as advisory committees and friends groups.
j. Monographic or media publications by full-time faculty, published during their employment at Fairfield Preparatory School.
STATEMENT OF USE FOR DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
The Fairfield University Archives and Special Collections makes digital copies of archival materials available online for educational and research use. Use or reproduction for commercial purposes is not authorized. Materials are selected for online access under the following circumstances: the rights are owned by the University; the material is in the public domain; Fairfield University has received permission to make them available; there are no known restrictions on use; or the material is made available for educational and research purposes under an assertion of legal fair use.
CONTESTING ONLINE CONTENT (TAKEDOWN POLICY)
If you own copyright to materials and feel you have not been properly identified, we ask that you immediately contact the University to help us clarify the issue and update our records and online holdings. We have made the best effort to adhere to all known copyright and rights of privacy, publicity, or trademark of material, but due to the nature of archival collections we are not always able to identify this information. We are eager to hear from any rights owners, so that we may obtain accurate information.
Persons who have questions or who wish to contest the use of specific works may contact the Fairfield University Archives & Special Collections at digital@fairfield.edu. Please include the following: a physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner, proof of copyright ownership, a statement that (under proof of perjury) you are the rights holder or an authorized agent, and identification of the material claimed to be infringing (such as a URL). Takedown notices will be handled in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
