As an important part of its mission of documenting the internal life of the Villanova University community and placing it in a broader societal context, the University Archives seeks to acquire, organize, and make available the personal and professional papers of the Villanova University faculty.

Faculty papers offer insight into the history and operation of the University, that otherwise may be lost by relying only on official administrative records. They reveal professional interests and opinions that frequently clarify matters mentioned in the official records of the administration. Faculty papers document the academic life of the University and relate one's academic career to his or her total interests, thereby constituting an important historical record. Personal viewpoints expressed in private correspondence and documentation resulting from service on academic committees may provide a better basis for understanding the University than official records from the administrative offices alone. Without a broad range of faculty papers available for consultation, the University Archives cannot provide a full compliment of perspectives regarding the history and development of the institution.

The size of the Villanova University faculty, and the available storage space and staff of the University Archives place limitations on the extent of collecting faculty papers. While attempting to acquire a broad range of personal papers, the University Archives must be selective.

The following criteria are applied when appraising and soliciting the personal and professional papers from faculty:

Criteria of Faculty Members Contribution

• National or international reputation in one's respective academic field
• Records of one's service with Villanova University and contribution to its growth and development
• Service on the faculty or a recognized area of excellence within Villanova University
• Service and contribution in community, state, and national affairs

Types and formats

The following types and formats of documentation reflect and illuminate the careers of the Villanova University faculty and are sought by the University Archives.

• Biographic material: resumes, vitae, biographical and autobiographical sketches, chronologies, genealogies, newspaper clippings, memoirs
• Correspondence: Official (outgoing and incoming letters and memoranda generated in the course of conducting university business.) Professional (outgoing and incoming letters relating to correspondence with colleagues, publishers, professional organizations, and former students; includes related files and attachments.) Personal (letters to and from friends, relatives, and business associates.)
• Diaries, notebooks, appointment calendars
• Teaching materials: lecture notes, syllabi, course outlines, reading lists, examinations, student papers
• Research Files: outlines, research designs, raw data, notes, analyses and reports of findings
• Departmental or Committee Records: agenda, minutes, reports, correspondence, and related material
• Publications: articles, books, reviews, works of art and music, speeches, professional papers, presentations
• Audiovisual Material: tapes of lectures, speeches, discussions, interviews, video tapes and motion pictures
• Honors and awards
• Photographs: prints, slides, and negatives
• Photo albums
• Scrapbooks
• Memorabilia

Records Which Generally Should Not Be Transferred To The University Archives

• Detailed financial records, canceled checks, and receipts
• Address books
• Calendars
• Routine correspondence
• Grade books and class rosters
• Greeting cards
• Invitations
• Duplicate and multiple copies of publications, course materials; all other duplicate material
• Typescripts, drafts, and galleys of publications and speeches unless the final publication or presentation is unavailable
• Books, research papers, journal articles, and reprints written by other persons
• Research notes and data if a summary of the data is available and transferred; bibliographic notes and notes on reading

The Villanova University Archives is committed to preserving selected faculty papers, making them available for research. At the same time, it has certain obligations to guard against invasion of privacy and to protect confidentiality. Therefore every private donor has the right to impose reasonable restrictions upon his or her papers to protect confidentiality for a reasonable period of time. Restrictions on access should be for a fixed period and should be determined at the time of the donation.

The University Archives does not accept agreements that restrict access to materials for the lifetime of any person or persons, or other agreements that are difficult or impossible to administer. It encourages minimal access restrictions consistent with the legal rights of all concerned.