Donate
Donating Materials
ASCLA welcomes donations that align with its collection scope. Due to limited resources, however, even materials falling within that scope may be regrettably declined, if it is determined that they could not be processed, preserved, and made available according to the highest professional standards.
As a rule, the Archives does not accept collections on loan, and only in the most unusual of circumstances would facsimiles be accessioned in lieu of original materials. If a collection includes born-digital items, we would ask that the donor not offer versions of those same items to other repositories. All final acquisition decisions are made by the Dean, librarian, and archivist. To discuss a possible donation, please contact archivist Samantha Dodd (samantha.dodd@asc.upenn.edu).
In conjunction with the donation of materials, both the donor and Annenberg School complete a deed of gift. This document treats any considerations, including restrictions, and legally transfers to the School both the physical and intellectual ownership of any agreed upon property to which the donor has a valid claim. To learn more about the purpose and particulars of deeds of gift, please consult this brochure by the Society of American Archivists.
The Archives exists to advance research, and therefore prefers donations without restriction; in special cases however, donor restrictions are allowable.
During the course of processing a collection, certain materials may be separated due to duplication, degradation, irrelevance, or privacy concerns. If stipulated in the deed of gift, these separations may be returned to the donor — otherwise they will be restricted, offered to an alternative repository, or deaccessioned at the Archives’ discretion.
Developing the Archives
One of the key barriers to expanding the archives is the need for trained archivists to inventory, catalogue, and digitize the materials, making them available to scholars in an organized format. Monetary gifts can help speed this process, allowing us to hire additional archivists and expand the collection in exciting ways.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact archivist Samantha Dodd (samantha.dodd@asc.upenn.edu).