archives collection policy

• To appraise, collect, organize, describe, preserve, and make available for research the records of historical, legal, fiscal, and administrative value to Oglala Lakota College (OLC) and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC)

• To appraise, collect, organize, describe, preserve and make available for research the historical and cultural records of the Oglala Lakota people, the Lakota Nation, and other Native Americans

• To organize, describe, preserve and make available for research the records of historical, legal, fiscal and administrative value to the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) that OLC now holds

• To provide reference services that will assist the operation of OLC, including its students, faculty and staff

• To serve as a resource to stimulate teaching and learning and to encourage the use of collections by members of the aforementioned institutions, the Pine Ridge Reservation community, and scholarly researchers

• To promote knowledge and understanding of the origins and developments of OLC, OST, AIHEC, their aims, and their programs

• To promote knowledge and understanding of the Oglala Lakota people in historical and cultural contexts

Through adherence to record retention schedules, the Archives collects materials of many types that document the history, development, activities and administration of OLC and AIHEC.

Through solicitation and acceptance the Archives collects personal and organizational materials that document the historical and cultural life of the Oglala Lakota people, the Lakota Nation, and other Native Americans.

An analysis of the OLC Vision Statement suggests that the Archives should collect materials in order to fulfill the Academic, Community, Cultural and Tribal purposes of the College.

Archival material may be collected by gift, bequest, or in some cases, purchase. Loans are discouraged but may be considered on an individual basis if the material is unique or of special value to OLC or the community.

Records will not be accepted if the donor’s ownership of such records is uncertain.

Since the OLC Archives is primarily an informational resource, restrictions on access to donated materials is strongly discouraged. In some cases, in order to protect individual privacy, clearly stated restrictions of limited duration can be imposed with guidance from the Archivist.

Donations which necessitate excessive requirements such as special housing, unreasonable processing, or any other inordinate demands on the Archives’ resources will not be accepted.

In order to facilitate research, collections that are split between more than one repository will not be accepted unless such a refusal endangers the physical safety of the collection.

A maximum of three (3) copies of any item will be retained. In general, one (1) or two (2) copies will be sufficient.

Institutional records are always subject to their retention periods according to the appropriate records retention schedule.

Unwanted items within donated collections will be disposed of in accordance with the stipulations in the Donation Agreement. These items are usually returned to the donor, transferred to the OLC Library/Learning Resource Center or other repository, or destroyed.

At some future time, the Archives may decide to digitize, or otherwise reformat donated collections for preservation or access purposes. In this instance, the original material may be kept by the Archives, returned to the donor, transferred or destroyed according to the terms of the Donation Agreement.

Since collection appraisal is a continuous process, acceptance of material does not commit the OLC Archives to retain any material in perpetuity. Notice of intended return, deaccession or destruction can be provided if donor requests such in the Donation Agreement.

The Archivist reserves the right to make all appraisal decisions regarding the archival collections. Such decisions will be based on his/her knowledge of archival principles in general, and of the mission of OLC and aims of the OLC Archives in particular.

Generally speaking, the following types of material will not be accepted by the Archives:

• Books or periodicals, unless they are rare, out of print, unique and/or directly related to OLC, its faculty, staff, students or community members

• Most three-dimensional artifacts, unless they have been confirmed by a person of authority to be of historical or cultural significance to the Lakota people, or by the Archivist to be of historical or cultural significance to OLC

• Duplicate (more than 3 copies) published or distributed materials; e.g., catalogs, commencement programs, etc.

• Employees’ personal belongings and non-records; i.e., items not covered in the employees’ respective records retention schedules

If material would be better placed in another repository because it would complement an existing collection elsewhere, the Archivist will refer donors to that repository.

In a very few cases, there will be exceptions to the policies outlined above. In those rare instances, the Archivist will exercise professional judgment.

If you have any questions or want to make an appointment,

Michelle May - LRC Director

Oglala Lakota College Archives Page

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