The Archives and Special Collections department intends to collect, preserve, publish, and maintain the collections under its control to further the educational mission of Florida State College at Jacksonville. The following elements assist in guidance for the operation of the department as well as collection development and maintenance.
Authority
The Archives and Special Collections department is a sub-unit of the Library and Learning Commons which in turn is a sub-unit within Curriculum and Instruction within the Academic Affairs division of the college.
Oversight Team
Archives and Special Collections oversight is coordinated by the following team members:
Coordinator of Public Services
Director of Library Services
Coordinator of Library Technical Services
Records Management Program Coordinator
Dean of Library and Tutoring Services
Decision Making
Day-to-day oversight of the Archives and Special Collections department is provided by the Public Services Coordinator. Decisions having moderate impact of the department are made in consultation with the Oversight Team. Decisions having a major impact on the department are to be approved by the Associate Provost of Curriculum and Instruction and/or the Provost. Whenever appropriate, other college administrators or the Board of Trustees for the college will be consulted.
Purpose of the Program
The purpose of the Archives and Special Collections department is to further the mission of the college by collecting, preserving, and publishing materials of historical importance to the college.
History of the Program
The college was established as Florida Junior College (FJC) in Duval County in 1965. Since that time, various departments, campuses, centers, programs, and offices have developed, published, and collected a broad spectrum of historical materials relevant to the college. The Archives and Special Collections department was created in 2017 within the Library and Learning Commons to bring materials together into one location to assist in document management, preservation, security, and digital publication of those important resources.
Use of Archives and Special Collections
While the primary focus of the department is to serve the students, faculty and staff of the college, the majority of the humanities and historical materials held within the collection are of interest to scholars, local community members, and researchers in the region and across the world. The department makes extraordinary efforts to digitize and publish humanities resources for free and convenient scholar and general public access. By demonstrating the breadth and quality of work completed by the college, users are able to recognized the positive impact the college makes upon our communities.
Currently, for preservation and security purposes, the physical collections are available fo use by appointment only. Research visits and work projects using the physical collections are arranged by the Public Service Coordinator. To support community involvement and education, the department offers displays of physical materials including artifacts, photographs, and other realia.
Focus of the Collection
The department collects materials primarily produced by the students, faculty, staff, and program participants of the college. Date ranges for materials added to the collection normally coincide with the life of the college. Geographically, the collection primarily focuses of materials relevant to the service areas of the college (primarily Duval county and northeast Florida). Since the college offers a significant range of educational programs, the subject breadth of collections can be diverse. Subject areas that are of primary focus are:
Materials Collected
Formats Collected
The department seeks to collect and preserve and maintain materials in a variety of formats. Format conversion is one service that is supported through the department. Materials in older formats such as 3/4 inch video tape, reel-to-reels audio tapes, etc. are professionally converted to modern digital formats. These digital formats are then stored on multiple server sites for protection, and served digitally to the public for use via sites such as Islandora, YouTube, and others. Photographs in multiple formats will be scanned and converted to digital formats for easy access and searchability. Physical realia such as anthropology relics, awards, and other materials will be collected and housed as space becomes available.
Materials Accepted
Materials produced by the college will continue to be actively sought from all departments for consideration. To date, there is no intention to purchase outside collections for addition to the collection; however, targeted donations may be considered based upon collection development policies and with support from college administration. Department funds are used to maintain, digitize and preserve the collection. Outside funds will be sought to enhance and support the preservation and maintenance of collection.
Legal Custody
The college retains all copyright of the materials within the collection. No materials will be added to the collection which the college does not have copyright to maintain and publish. The department will work closely with the college legal department to ensure that all releases and copyright issues are in compliance with college policies.
Loans/ Uses of Materials
The department will loan materials on rare occasions to other institutions who will ensure the materials are properly cared for, protected, and returned on a timely basis. No loans to non-affiliated individuals are acceptable. Loans of physical departmental materials are on a case-by-case arrangement.
Individual digital use for educational, pleasure, and non-profit use is granted with attribution for materials without request. Organizations and individuals seeking to reprint, distribute in any format, or publish materials held by the department must seek written permission from the department before proceeding with use. Attribution to the FSCJ Archives and Special Collection department is expected for all published materials.
Ownership, Title, Copyright
Florida State College at Jacksonville, retains all ownership, title, and copyrights for all physical and digital materials.
Preservation
The department seeks to provide long term preservation of the materials within the collection. Materials that are in poor condition that have the potential to damage or degrade other materials in the collection are prohibited. The department seeks to follow common archival best practices, processes and procedures to maintain the collections.
Policy Review
The policies and procedures outlined will be reviewed annually.
Reviewed 10/2023